Rising From the Ashes
by Sad-Blue-Eyed-Angel 2010
Summary: Alan and Fermat have a long road ahead of them as they brave surgery to repair injuries obtained from their daring escape from the Wharton fire. Follow the boys as they work towards recovery in hopes that they can one day soon leave the hospital behind and can continue life again without the constant reminder of what once was. Truths are revealed as these boys rise from the ashes.
1. Awakening

"Alan…come on, wake up." A gentle voice spoke, rousing the boy from his slumber.

'_Not right now…please_.' Alan tried to ignore the voice gently prodding him from his fluffy soft dream world. He felt no pain in his fluffy dream world – why was whoever bothering him trying to drag him out of his safe haven…it just wasn't fair.

"Alan, come on… wake up sleepyhead." Alan pried his eyes open to hear that annoying beep that he'd grown accustomed to hearing and he looked up to meet the gaze of Dr. Warner – the man's face was hidden behind a surgical mask. "There we go. You slept for a good twelve hours, must have really needed the sleep."

"Yeah, maybe." Alan agreed lightly.

"We're just going to get you sat up a little so you can have a sip of water." The mechanical whirring of the bed sounded fuzzy to Alan – like how one's hearing was always a bit obscured after having just woken up. When he was sat up, Alan looked around slowly – blinking the sleep out of his eyes. "Oops, we don't want this falling off."

Dr. Warner's hand came up by Alan's face and he flinched until it occurred to him that the doctor was simply looping the fallen cannula tubing back around his ear. The hiss of oxygen and the cool rush of air up his nose tickled and Alan reached up to rub at his nose – attempting to dislodge the oxygen cannula from his nostrils.

"No, we don't want to do that Alan. You need the oxygen for a little while longer – just until tomorrow morning." Dr. Warner lightly brushed Alan's fingers away from his nose before settling a look on the boy. "So how are you feeling – any pain anywhere?"

Alan paused as he took account of any and all pain he may be experiencing. Shaking his head, Alan sent a grateful look at the doctor.

"No, no pain anywhere." Alan settled back into his pillows before a thought occurred to him. "Hang on, how long until we find out whether or not my surgery failed or not?"

"You've got another twelve hours. But so far you're doing well. I and my nurses have been monitoring you every hour and you haven't shown a sign one that your body is going to reject the donor skin." Dr. Warner sat on the edge of the bed and settled a straightforward look on his young patient. "You were quite the trooper during surgery."

Alan blushed at the sort of compliment. All he did was sleep.

"You know, I was quite impressed with how you did during surgery. Your blood pressure, O2 sats, heart rate – everything remained at an even keel." Dr. Warner felt it was necessary to reassure his patient of how well he did in surgery.

"When will we know about the nerves in my feet?" Alan looked at his doctor pleadingly. He was hoping to not hear bad news.

"Well, once the twenty-four hours are up – we'll know if the donation took. If it took, then in about two weeks we'll do what's called a feather touch. Once the bandages are removed from your feet, I or one of the nurses will come in and use either a feather, pen, paperclip even pinches and we'll test your reflexes – primarily when you're least expecting it. Like two weeks from now, you might be asleep and one of the nurses may come in and use a Q-tip and run it along the bottom of your feet and see if you react."

"What will happen if I don't react?" Alan bit his lip as he asked.

"Well, we'll continue to check you daily – if you show signs of reacting but its faint then we know your nerves are trying to repair themselves. If you show no signs of reacting at all then like the first option we'll continue to check you until we either see a reaction or we don't. The kind of reaction we are hoping for would be you jerking your foot away or nudging whatever is touching you away. If we don't see a reaction then you'll just remain stationary." Dr. Warner was straightforward with his patient.

"Okay." Alan accepted the answer. It wasn't exactly what he wanted to hear, but it'd do for now.

"So, do you have any questions at all?" Dr. Warner inquired softly.

"How bad will the scarring be?" Alan was curious about how deformed he'd be once everything was done.

" Well, judging on the slight variation in your skin tone compared to Virgil's – I'd say the scarring will be minimal. You and Virgil are close enough in skin tone that it won't change too much." Dr. Warner pointed at Alan's arm – near his collarbone. "Despite blondes normally being significantly fairer skinned as compared to those with brown hair, you and your brother share a similar shade of skin tone."

Alan nodded his acceptance of the answer once more. He was hoping that when the surgical sites healed that it wouldn't be too obvious that something had happened to him. He personally didn't feel up to explaining everything to everyone who hadn't heard about the fire. He just wanted to put it behind himself.

"Any other questions for me then Alan?" Dr. Warner began readjusting Alan's hospital blankets as he patiently waited for his patient to ask any other questions he could come up with.

Alan opened his mouth but found himself fighting a yawn instead. "None r-ight now…sir." Alan shook his head as the yawn zapped him of his remaining energy.

"Okay, well best get on back to bed. I'll let your father and brothers know that you've woken up and that you are doing fairly well." Dr. Warner pulled Alan's blankets up to the boy's chin as he started to return to sleep.

"Thank you." Alan whispered as he snuggled to the best of his ability into his bedding. However just before he went to bed Alan pried open his sleep heavy eyes to look one last time at the doctor. "How's Virgil doing?"

"He's good. Woke up a few hours ago and wanted to know anything he could about how you were doing. I believe he's eating dinner right now though. I can let him know that you send your well wishes." Dr. Warner offered.

"No, I'll call him." Alan reached out a hand to grab his laptop, but Dr. Warner stopped him.

"Alan, I must advise against it right now. You've only just woken up and a few minutes ago you were ready to go back to sleep. Why don't you ease back, close your eyes and catch a few more hours of rest. You can contact Virgil in the morning, but right now it's bedtime." Dr. Warner gestured for Alan to lie back down and he intentionally lowered the bed back so that Alan would have no choice but to sleep at present. Alan didn't fight the doctor on it and he was asleep before the doctor left the room.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

"No Scott! Damn it! No!" Gordon resisted as much as he could as Scott held him in a headlock whilst dragging him into SeaWorld in San Diego, California. John was pushing against Gordon's back, trying to help Scott with dragging their little brother into the large theme park.

"Yes Gordon." John replied as he pushed a little more firmly against Gordon's back, mindful not to push too hard.

"I can't!" Gordon managed to yank his head free of Scott's hold and he began backing away.

"Why not?" Scott asked exasperatedly.

"Not without Alan or Virgil! It's not fair to either of them!" Gordon turned and tried to leave but Scott wrapped him in a hug in order to stall him.

"No can do kiddo. Alan made us promise to take you somewhere for your birthday and it was his suggestion to bring you to SeaWorld." Scott turned Gordon in his arms and made his little brother look up at him. "Please, to honor Alan's wish…will you come in and celebrate your birthday like Alan requested? It'll hurt his feelings if he finds out that you didn't want to do it."

Gordon slumped down. He didn't want to be responsible for Alan having hurt feelings or making his younger brother mad for not honoring his wishes. Nodding slowly, Gordon finally agreed to go into SeaWorld, if only to pacify Alan's wish for Gordon to celebrate his birthday rather than sulk as he waited to hear word on how Alan was doing so soon after surgery.

Gordon's thoughts turned to barely thirteen hours earlier.

_ 'Gordon sat in the waiting room staring at the clock on the wall. He was waiting for his dad to return from an urgent business call – one which Jeff was not happy about taking because he felt his two sons just having gotten out of surgery were more important than a board meeting. And really who could blame him for being more interested in his two sons?_

_ "Gordo, breathe – please. They're fine. You heard the surgeon." Scott pleaded with his little brother to relax. Ever since the doctor had left after informing them that Alan had made it through surgery with no lingering issues Gordon had been nothing but a bundle of nerves._

_ "I can't Scott! Why can't you understand that?!" Gordon's voice cracked slightly as his apprehension took hold of his vocal cords. He wanted more than anything to see his little brother – he wanted to see proof that Alan had made it through surgery. Virgil too._

_ "It'll do none of us any good to freak out Gordon. We can't see either of them – not right now. It's too soon after surgery!" Scott walked over and took hold of Gordon's shoulders. "Tell you what kiddo…when the doctor gives the okay for us to begin visiting them, you can have my first three turns to visit Alan and Virge."_

_ "I can't do that to you Scott; it's not fair to you." Gordon argued back._

_ "You can do it if I tell you to. Please, just consider it a birthday present from me – especially since I didn't get a chance to go out and get you anything." Scott knelt down in front of Gordon and placed a hand gently on his little brother's knee. The eldest brother felt like a heel for having forgotten to get his second youngest brother anything for his birthday. It was his twentieth birthday after all. Now Alan's insistence to take Gordon somewhere special for his birthday seemed like the best idea._

_ "But Scott, what about how Alan and Virgil will feel?" Gordon didn't want to take Scott's chances to see Alan and Virgil – they were his brothers too._

_ "They'll understand. Johnny will just inform them that I gave you my first three chances to see them." Scott looked towards John as if to make him agree but John had already walked up by this time and put a hand on Gordon's shoulder – squeezing it affectionately._

_ "Scotty's right Gordo. I've got your back." Gordon reached up with his free hand to gently place his hand onto John's – silently thanking him for reassuring him that it was okay. "By the way, happy birthday little brother."_

_ Gordon nodded silently as he accepted the birthday wishes. To be honest, he'd forgotten that it was his birthday. He didn't want to seem ungrateful for the birthday gift that Scott was so readily giving up, but he was shocked when their dad came back into the waiting room and nodded his head for them to follow._

_ "Come on boys – time for us to go to the hotel and pack our things. We'll be back in three days' time." Jeff watched as Scott and John nodded mutely before they stood – leaving Gordon to do an impression of the creatures he hung out with in the ocean back home._

_ "What? Why are we leaving?!" Gordon was flabbergasted that Alan and Virgil hadn't even been out of surgery a full ten hours and already their dad and brothers wanted to jump ship and leave them stranded and alone._

_ "I can't say, but it'll be fun." Jeff came closer and ruffled Gordon's hair – he noticed Gordon hadn't seemed to do anything with his hair this morning. Normally he at least combed it – doing everything possible to disguise the cowlick he'd had and hated since childhood, but this time it just stuck up in odd directions and Gordon hadn't seemed to care that his cowlick was sticking up front and center. _

_Jeff thought the cowlick was cute – regardless of his son now being twenty years old. Each of his boys had a cowlick – they'd gotten it from their mother. Even Alan had a cowlick despite his hair also being slightly curly, something which was something he'd received from Jeff._

"_Why can't you tell me where we're going? Why do we have to leave?" Gordon looked alarmed at the thought that he may be abandoning his baby and immediate older brothers in the hospital. "I want to know!"_

"_Sorry kiddo, it's a secret. You'll have fun though – I promise." Jeff reached out and placed his hand gently on the back of Gordon's neck, squeezing ever so slightly. He could feel the tension in Gordon's neck and knew it wasn't good for Gordon to be so wound up._

"_We can't go. Not without Alan and Virgil." Gordon pleaded with his dad and brothers to listen and hear him out. "Please, whatever you have planned, you guys can go and just leave me here or we can all put it off until both Alan and Virgil are given a clean bill of health and discharged."_

"_No can do kiddo on leaving you here. We're going. Alan asked us to." Jeff's voice lowered – the fatherly compassion in his voice._

Gordon sat on a bench and he held an ice cream cone. He felt like a five year old and he pouted – because it was his birthday and he damn well could pout. A flash and click sounded and Gordon looked up before he scowled at Scott. His big brother was kneeling down and grinning like an idiot as he snapped a picture or two – (maybe more).

"Come on and smile Gordo! Alan would want to see you enjoying your birthday!" Scott rolled the wheel on the disposable camera that he'd bought at the gift shop. He'd turned his phone off because he'd forgotten to charge it, thus the reason behind needing a disposable camera to document this day, for Alan and Virgil (but mostly for Alan).

"I am smiling." Gordon's bottom lip stuck out and he literally looked like a miserable toddler being told to sit with his nose in the corner while being on time out.

"Well if that's your smile, I'd hate to see your frown." Scott replied dryly. "Come on, smile at least once for the camera Gordo. I want to give these to Alan for his picture album."

Gordon heaved an exasperated sigh before he plastered a fake grin on his face.

"Try not to look like you're in pain for god's sake." Scott rolled his eyes as Gordon tried to make his smile genuine. "Hey maybe if you're a good boy, dad will take you to play with the dolphins, you'd like that huh? Maybe get you a happy meal?"

Gordon snorted a laugh. He'd hated happy meals as a child. He only ever wanted the happy meal for the toy – never the food. Alan, John and Virgil were all the happy meal addicts as children. Scott and Gordon…not so much.

"Finally! A real smile!" Scott cried as he snapped one of several pictures of Gordon genuinely smiling and laughing.

"Gordo, you'd better eat your ice cream cone before it melts." John advised softly as he noticed the neat cone began to look like the leaning tower of Pisa

"Oh, shoot!" Gordon looked at his ice cream cone and took a big lick and swallowed it before he'd realized his mistake. "Oh god…"

"Whoo! How's that brain freeze Gordo?" Scott stood up and leaned against the barrier separating the Sea World visitors from the aquatic amphibians.

"What brain freeze, it's just my psychic powers coming to fruition." Gordon spoke in a choked voice as he rode out the worst of his brain freeze.

"Right, so if you're psychic, then tell me – what am I going to have for dinner tonight?" Scott inquired, a smirk playing on his face.

"Red Lobster…it'll be the surf and turf…with lemon iced tea." Gordon reported back before he grinned wryly back at his eldest brother, finally feeling at ease enough to banter back and forth with his brothers. "Hey Scott, you want the rest of my ice cream, after that brain freeze – I'm good to go on any further freezing of my mental faculties."

"You cheated you know that. You just relied on what I ordered last time we went to Red Lobster. How you remembered that though I have no idea. It's been a little over a year ago since we've eaten there." Scott reached out and took Gordon's ice cream cone before licking some of the sweet frozen cream which was beginning to make a happy melty mess. "Hey John, help me and Gordo eat his birthday ice cream would ya. You have a never ending sweet tooth."

John came over and smacked his hand up the back of Scott's head as he leaned down to take a bite of the ice cream and he managed to make Scott get ice cream on his nose. The elder brother growled before he stuck his finger in the ice cream and smeared some on John's cheek. Gordon snorted another laugh but hadn't expected Scott and John to team up on him practically white wash him. When Gordon opened his eyes next it was to John and Scott cracking up and Jeff shaking his head in embarrassment at his grown sons acting like children.

"I leave them alone for five minutes and this is what I return to." Jeff muttered under his breath.

Scott, John and Gordon all turned to smile at their dad like nothing had been going on. It wasn't like they still had ice cream all over their faces. Gordon pulled his best innocent smile before pointing at John.

"He started it."

"Oh please? Me? You're the one who let your ice cream become a melting mess." John glared incredulously at his little brother.

"Yeah, but I didn't smack Scott in the back of the head starting this whole ice cream war." Gordon countered.

A flash interrupted the bickering brothers before three pairs of eyes turned in the direction of Jeff who stood holding Scott's abandoned camera.

"I think Alan and Virgil will appreciate seeing these pictures." Jeff replied before pointing towards the bathroom. "Now go wash your faces. You're in your twenties, not two, six and seven."

"Yes dad." Three deep voices replied before they trekked to the bathroom – mischievous grins on their faces as they left.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Virgil lay in his bed and gazed up at the ceiling. It was a quarter past midnight and to be honest, Virgil was sore. He was trying to decide if calling for a nurse to give him a top off of his pain medications was warranted or not. He wasn't in pain – not per se. He was just sore and felt like he'd been hit by a Mack truck. His thighs - the front, side and tops of his thighs as a matter of fact and his groin even ached because of where they'd removed skin.

Shifting his legs to test it, he sucked in a sharp breath. '_Yeah, I think I need more pain meds. Damn, that's the last thing I wanted to deal with right now.'_ Reaching out a hand, Virgil pressed the nurse call button and waited for the night nurse to don the required hospital required clothing.

When she entered the room, Virgil looked towards her too afraid to move for fear of setting off his body into a painful haze.

"Karen, can I please get something for the pain?" Virgil had no problem asking for something for the pain. Sure he was prideful like his dad and brothers, but he knew his limits and personally he didn't want to make his discomfort worse by ignoring it.

"Sure thing sweetheart." Karen made her way to a locked cabinet in his room and retrieved a bottle of medicine as well as a syringe. Tipping the vial over and inserting the needle, she withdrew a small dose before she injected it into Virgil's IV. "There you go dear."

Virgil smiled his thanks at Karen and felt the pain ebbing away almost immediately.

"Thank you Karen." Virgil began to relax but fought keeping his eyes open when Karen leaned down to talk to him.

"Dear, did you need to use the restroom before I left?" Karen inquired as she knew Virgil might need assistance standing and walking because of how tender his legs might be.

Virgil lay in his bed and contemplated whether or not he needed to go or not. He knew he probably should at least with Karen's assistance, just because his day nurse kind of creeped him out. It's not that he disliked Candy; it's just that she seemed really friendly…maybe a little too friendly.

"Yeah, if you could give me a hand that'd be most appreciated." Virgil pulled back his blankets and allowed Karen to help him stand. Once he was standing on his own two feet Virgil wanted to cry. His legs were so much sorer now than they were a few moments ago.

"Alright, one foot in front of the other." Karen coached Virgil and she held onto him as he took small baby steps towards his private bathroom.

'_To think, Alan will have to deal with this sevenfold.'_ Virgil thought to himself as he reached out a hand to brace against the door frame. "Okay, I've got it from here. Thanks Karen."

"No problem dear, just let me know when you're done and I'll come help you back to bed." Karen pulled the bathroom door shut to grant Virgil privacy so he could do his business without an audience. Several moments passed in silence before Karen heard Virgil speak up.

"Okay, Karen…I'm done." The toilet flushed soon after and Karen opened the door to assist Virgil back to his bed. "Thanks Karen."

"Like I said before Virgil sweetie. It's no trouble at all." Karen held Virgil gingerly around the waist with her right arm and she held Virgil's left arm over her shoulder. When they approached his bed, Virgil sank down onto it with a grateful sigh. It felt nice to be off his feet and legs.

Karen pulled Virgil's blankets back over him and his thoughts immediately turned back to his baby brother. What he'd just been assisted with – making a trip to the restroom, no doubt Alan would need assistance with the same thing. Right now he was utilizing the aid of a catheter (not by choice) and soon (hopefully) he'd be able to walk of his own accord.

"There you go darling. Anything else I can help you with before I return to the nurse station?" Karen reached out and brushed a wayward strand of hair from Virgil's eye.

"No, but thank you though." Virgil eased back into his pillows. His thoughts never strayed from Alan and his position in the hospital. Literally crossing his fingers, Virgil bit his lip as he prayed to his mother and anyone else who was listening to give Alan this one thing and make it so that he'd accept the specimen so that'd be one less surgery.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Alan raised one of his hands and wiped away at the beading sweat on his forehead. _'Is it just me or is it getting hot in here?'_ Panting slightly, Alan smacked his dry lips. He was thirsty. Looking around, Alan located the new nurse call button which was rigged up for him since it was still difficult for him to lift his arm to press the button which was built onto the frame of the bed…Alan pressed the button before exhaling sharply. He planned on asking the nurse to turn down the thermostat, he felt like he was roasting.

Several minutes passed before a nurse came into the room and she came towards Alan only to tilt her head in confusion at the sight of the boy. His face was pale and drenched with sweat and he was panting heavily.

"What's the matter sweetheart?" The nurse came closer and she could practically feel the heat pouring from Alan.

"I'm hot and I don't feel good." Alan smacked his lips again…he was really thirsty.

"Let me page the doctor sweetheart while I get you some water." The nurse could see that Alan was thirsty and she went over to the sink and retrieved a Dixie cup of water from the sink as she pressed a couple buttons on her pager to contact the doctor. She was beginning think that Alan's body may be trying to reject his brother's skin donation. Flu-like symptoms were starting to appear and she wanted to have Alan looked at.

Walking over to Alan she pressed the cup to Alan's lips and the boy began drinking like he hadn't had water in weeks. Before either party knew it, the water was gone and Alan had a look of disappointment on his face. Looking at the nurse, Alan adopted a hurt puppy look and the nurse retrieved him another cup of water – this time satisfying his thirst.

The doctor breezed into the room shortly after and he halted at the foot of Alan's bed. One glance at Alan told the doctor that they'd need to watch Alan closer; he was starting to display signs of rejection.

"How are you feeling Alan?" Dr. Warner leaned in close to his patient, feeling his forehead to gauge his temperature.

"I'm hot and I feel like I wanna hurl." Alan shot a pitiful look towards his doctor and he turned on the puppy pout – of course with the way he was feeling the puppy pout came naturally.

"Karen, fetch Alan an emesis basin please." Dr. Warner lightly ordered the nurse before focusing on Alan once more. "How else are you feeling?"

"Tired and sore." Alan swallowed deeply, trying to fight off the sick feeling which was growing in his stomach.

"Do you feel like you have the flu?" Dr. Warner inquired, trying to determine if Alan's body was trying to buck the donated skin.

"Not really, just feel sick and tired." Alan admitted truthfully. Sure he felt sick, felt like he wanted to barf, but he didn't feel like he had the flu – and he'd had that sickness enough times to know what it felt like to have.

"Here you go sweetheart." Karen stepped forward and placed an emesis basin in Alan's lap. "I'll stay here with you for a while dear, just until you go back to sleep."

"Thanks Karen." Alan moved his hand to rub his stomach, rubbing slow counter-clockwise circles into his abdomen. That trick had always worked for soothing his stomach when he was little. Why couldn't it work now?

"No problem dear." Karen replied before retrieving a cool cloth to try to cool Alan down with. "I can monitor him Dr. Warner; I'll let you know if he seems to exhibit any further symptoms of rejection."

"Thank you Karen." Dr. Warner wasn't too particularly worried at present. Yeah Alan felt sick and he was running a slight fever, but he'd had patients in the past that had similar symptoms and it usually just turned out to be their body's way of expelling the medication used to keep them under during surgery. His fever was only 100.2, not that big a spike. "You've got two more hours Alan until we know for sure if your body is trying to refuse the donation. Think you can handle it?"

"I'll try." Alan replied thickly. He felt really sick at present. Swallowing again Alan leaned back in his bed and closed his eyes as he tried to ignore the sick feeling.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Virgil stirred from his sleep and looked around; there wasn't anything there to awaken him. Rolling over slowly, Virgil tried to go back to sleep. Lying in bed with his eyes closed, Virgil focused on the sweet call of sleep that his body refused to accept. Opening his eyes, Virgil gazed across the room to glimpse the clock. No wonder he was awake…his internal clock must have been unconsciously keeping track of the countdown. It was officially five minutes after the critical time that Alan was being monitored. Reaching out, Virgil grasped his laptop and he pulled it and the over bed table over his lap.

Booting up his laptop, Virgil waited patiently for the login screen to come up. When the window came up asking him for his password, Virgil entered in _Tr cyBr0thers4Ever. _Smiling to himself, Virgil considered there really wasn't much he wouldn't do for his brothers. He loved all of them dearly. Case in point, he was lying in a hospital bed doped up to the gills on pain medication for the surgical site done out of the love he held for his baby brother. Virgil went to his web calling program on his laptop and he called Alan's laptop – he hoped Alan was coherent enough to talk to.

"Hey Virge…"

Virgil turned his attention to the computer screen and the smile which sprung up on his face at the sound of his baby brother's voice fell at the sight of his pale faced baby brother.

"Nice shade of green going on there Alan…" Virgil frowned as he watched Alan swallow convulsively. "Are you okay?"

"I'd feel better if I wasn't puking up my guts..." Alan swallowed again. "Karen!"

"Hold on sweetheart." Suddenly Alan's laptop was moved and Virgil couldn't hide the wince as he heard the retch immediately followed by pouring liquid. Virgil grimaced as he listened to Alan cough. "It's okay dear."

"This sucks…" Alan coughed then spit, before coughing again.

"Humor me darling, blow you nose." Karen stated softly. Virgil listened as Alan blew his nose. A few minutes passed before the laptop was moved back in front of Alan. Karen's gloved hand was seen dabbing a damp paper towel around Alan's forehead and mouth.

"Are you feeling better now Alan?" Virgil inquired now that he could see his little brother's sweaty pale face.

"Very…I don't feel like I need to hurl again." Alan eased back into his pillows, visibly feeling better.

"How long you been going?" Virgil was curious about how long his baby brother was feeling sick.

"Last ten minutes or so, but who's counting?" Alan swallowed convulsively once more before burping loudly. "Sorry."

"Oh no, it's quite alright. It's better to get all the built up air out of your system." Karen gave Alan a small cup of water to sip. Alan glanced down at the screen when he heard Virgil chuckling and he glared at his older brother.

"What are you laughing at? I puke and you find humor in it?" Alan fixed a glare at Virgil.

"I'm not laughing at your puke-a-thon…I'm laughing at your monster belch Mr. Manners!" Virgil covered his mouth to cover his smile.

Alan had the nerve to blush at the nickname appointed to him by one of his older brothers. When they were younger, Gordon tried to teach Alan how to belch his ABC's and Alan wouldn't do it. The time spent with their grandmother while International Rescue was in its beginning phases really imprinted on Alan. Gordon started calling Alan Mr. Manners because Alan kept telling Gordon how impolite it was to burp aloud.


	2. A Toast to Gordon

Gordon allowed a true smile to come to his face. Gordon didn't know how they did it, but Gordon was given special permission to don a wet suit and swim with the whales. He had a trained professional coaching him on how to stand when the Orca whale came up from beneath him, flipping him into the air. Gordon crossed his arms over his chest and rotated his body as it flipped neatly into the air before putting his arms out to cut through the water like he'd been taught as a swimmer.

Opening his eyes beneath the water, Gordon held out a hand and gripped the dorsal fin of one of the Orcas he was swimming with and allowed it to pull him to the surface. It was official; if he died today he'd die a happy guy. It had always been one of his dreams to swim with whales, but he couldn't do that with where they lived on the island. Of course, Gordon was going to give Alan the biggest noogie of his life for telling their family one of his closely guarded desires. Gordon had once confided in Alan that his biggest dream, aside from winning several medals in the Olympics, was to swim with whales. It'd been nothing but a pipe dream for Gordon – never telling anybody but Alan because he felt that they wouldn't understand. Their dad would say it's too dangerous, Scott would tell him to bring his head down from the clouds and use his brain. John would smile and tell him that maybe one day he could fulfill his dream and Virgil would chuckle and tell Gordon that maybe one day when pigs flew could he ever swim with whales. But Alan?

Alan was in a league of his own and he'd told Gordon that one day when he didn't require a parent's permission to do something like swim with the whales – he and Gordon would go out and they'd go swim with whales together. That thought though had become a morbid reality when Gordon had his accident and faced life in a wheelchair paralyzed from the waist down. Alan though, twelve years old had promised Gordon that one day he'd swim with the whales for Gordon and that made Gordon smile from the confines of his own hospital bed.

Instantly deflating, Gordon felt like a cloud descended upon him. Quickly checking his watch as he was pulled through the water once more by Daisy the Orca he was swimming with, Gordon's thoughts returned to Alan. Had his body accepted the donation of skin or would they return to their hotel room to get a call from the doctor that Alan's body refused the skin and it'd all been for naught?

Gordon lost focus for a few brief moments but then he felt Daisy pull up which was the signal she'd be given to bring Gordon to the surface in order to perform some more tricks. Angling his body, Gordon allowed Daisy to pull him above the surface and once above the water, Gordon sucked in a nice deep breath and swiped the dripping water from his eyes.

"You doing all right Gordon?" Kami - the trainer who was teaching Gordon how to perform some of the tricks called from where she stood on the platform.

"Yeah! I'm having a blast!" Gordon was nudged below the feet and he looked down before spreading his legs just enough to sit on top of the whale that had swam up beneath him. "Who's this little guy?"

The whale was tiny in comparison to the other orcas, but was still strong enough to support a full grown person.

"That's Jewel, she's a year old. Daisy is her momma." Kami crouched down when Jewel brought Gordon over to the platform where she stood. "She loves people, very affectionate."

Gordon slid off of Jewel's head and knelt down beside Kami. Jewel opened her mouth and both Gordon and Kami grinned.

"Here, you want to feed her?" Kami held out a decent sized fish which she'd pulled from a bucket beside her.

"Sure!" Gordon accepted the dead fish and he reached out before dropping it into Jewel's mouth. Jewel swallowed it before opening her mouth again. "Was that good girl?"

"Give Gordon a kiss Jewel." Kami instructed before nodding at Gordon to lean forward. Gordon leaned forward and kissed Jewel on the mouth. Jewel started nodding her head energetically before opening her mouth again, telling Gordon and Kami that she wanted more fish thereby making Gordon and Kami laugh. "Okay, here's your fish piglet…now go swim to momma."

Gordon reached out and caressed Jewel as she swam away before standing up. Offering a hand out to Kami, Gordon helped her up.

"So did you have fun?" Kami smiled up at Gordon, she was s petite thing…but Gordon knew she was off limits no matter how attractive she was. The engagement ring on her ring finger jumped out at Gordon.

"I had a blast." Gordon smiled at the whales, he was content now.

"Happy to hear it, it's always fun to get to do something special for your birthday." Kami picked up the bucket containing the last few fish she had.

"Wait, how did you know this was a birthday present?" Gordon looked over at Kami in surprise. He hadn't mentioned it being his birthday to Kami at all.

"Your family called the office and it was my boss who set this whole shindig up. I was scheduled to be your guide today and my boss informed me that this was a special birthday bash." Kami grinned as she walked away.

"Speaking of family, I wonder where my dad and brothers got to. They were here up until a few minutes ago." Gordon looked up into the stands where his family had been standing. They were no longer there.

"I have an idea, but mum's the word." Kami winked at Gordon before sashaying away, fish bucket swaying with the movement of her hips. "Go get dressed and I'll meet you near the entry doors."

Gordon nodded before parting company with Kami and heading into the locker room where he'd been directed to go to change into his wetsuit. Quickly showering to wash the saltwater from his skin, Gordon hurriedly dressed. He was curious about what more his family had in store for him. Currently though he felt like a kid in a candy store.

Stepping out of the locker room, Gordon stepped into his tennis shoes before hurrying down the hall towards the entry doors. Gordon came to a stop when he met Kami – standing near the doors. She was wearing a spaghetti strap tank top and khaki shorts. Gordon cleared his throat upon seeing Kami and she looked up to meet his eyes. Smiling at him, Kami pulled a bandanna out of her back pocket.

"What's this for?" Gordon backed up slightly, but Kami followed his movements and reached to tie the bandanna around Gordon's eyes.

"It's a surprise." Kami turned Gordon in several circles before pushing Gordon in front of her.

"Hey!" Gordon chuckled as he walked ahead of Kami.

"Few more steps!" Kami instructed before she leaned around Gordon and opened a door. Pushing Gordon through the doors, Gordon got the shock of his life as he heard multiple voices.

"Happy Birthday Gordon!"

Gordon removed the bandanna from his eyes and gave his family a watery smile. Jeff stepped forward and hugged his second youngest son. Hugging his father back, Gordon glanced over his father's shoulder to see Lady Penelope, Parker, his grandmother and two of his brothers.

"How?" Gordon started only to be cut off by Scott.

"You can thank Alan when you see him again. This was all his idea." Scott stepped forward and wrapped his little brother in a headlock before giving him a noogie.

"Scott Carpenter Tracy, you stop giving your brother a noogie." Ruth admonished before stepping forward to give one of her babies a hug. "Happy birthday darling."

"Thanks nana." Gordon smiled as he hugged his grandma. "How'd you get here? I thought you'd stayed in Massachusetts?"

"Thank Lady Penelope and Parker – they were such darlings to swing by and pick me up. You didn't think I'd actually miss one of my baby's birthdays did you?" Ruth pulled back from the hug and she placed a hand on either side of Gordon's face and she squeezed before giving him a kiss on either side of his face. "Now go thank Lady Penelope and Parker dear."

Ruth pushed Gordon towards Lady Penelope and Parker and he smiled when Lady Penelope opened her arms for a hug.

"Come here darling." Gordon pressed a feather light kiss in greeting to Lady Penelope's cheek as she did the same.

"You're looking fabulous as always Lady P." Gordon complimented.

"Thank you my dear." Lady Penelope hugged Gordon again. "Happy Birthday darling."

"Thanks." Gordon pulled away from the hug beaming.

"Ello, Mister Gordon." Parker waved at Gordon smiling at the boy he'd known since he was a boy.

"Hey Parker." Gordon rested his hands on Lady Penelope's hips as he smiled back at Parker. "Oh come on, I'm in a huggy mood. Come're Parker." Gordon opened his arms and stepped towards Parker, hugging the older man warmly.

"It's good te see you Mister Gordon." Parker replied with a chuckle at the normally blasé younger man. Gordon wasn't one for hugging much, unless it was a side hug but even then hugs from Gordon were few and far between – unless of course you were one of his brothers then they were very huggable. "Happy birthday boy."

"Thanks Parker." Gordon pulled out of the hug and smiled at the elder man. '_Note to self, thank Alan and treat him to a big chocolate milkshake once he's out of the hospital.'_

"Now what say we get this show on the road?" Scott gestured behind him to a table which held a cake, and several presents.

"Yes, lets." John gently gripped Gordon's arm and pulled him over to the table before pushing on his shoulders, making him sit directly in front of the cake and small pile of gifts.

Gordon smiled as he looked at the meager pile of gifts he'd received. He felt like one of the luckiest guys in the world. Not only did he get to spend his twentieth birthday swimming with whales and fulfilling #20 on his bucket list to complete before his 90th birthday, but he still got a small pile of gifts despite having not told any of his family what he'd wanted…not that they'd asked. They had some other stuff occupying their minds at present, so he'd let it slide.

"Gordon! Look at the camera!" Gordon looked just in time to be blinded by the flash of the camera as John snapped a picture of his awestruck face. Blinking rapidly to clear his vision, Gordon smiled as he tore into one of his presents. It was a shark tooth necklace, no doubt from Scott. He was constantly telling Gordon he should have a shark tooth necklace especially since he spent so much time in the water. Smiling at his elder brother, Gordon thanked him genuinely.

"Don't look at me…thank Tin-Tin. She sent it in the box with Virge's laptop." Scott held his hands up to ward off the word of thanks.

"But, didn't you have it made? You're constantly telling me I should have one." Gordon removed it from the small parcel box and fastened the clasps.

"No…I didn't even know Tin-Tin made these types of things." Gordon frowned as he thought back on the time he spent around Tin-Tin and it never occurred to him that Tin-Tin made these types of necklaces. He figured that her mother made all the hemp bracelets Tin-Tin, Alan and Fermat wore on their wrists.

John smiled secretly to himself, he knew Tin-Tin made the necklace. He'd asked Alan about it one of the nights that he'd been able to talk to Alan via webcam after Virgil received the box with his laptop. Alan made John swear to not tell anybody that he himself had asked Tin-Tin to make it for Gordon – using one of the shark teeth from his collection on the necklace. It'd remain a secret in John's heart to never reveal how the tooth was obtained – Alan refused to let anybody touch his collection of shark teeth, primarily because he liked to keep them categorized by date and he didn't want them messed with.

"_The tooth used in the necklace was the first tooth Gordo and I found together when we went scuba diving. Remember? Gordo and I went out just beyond the reef with a small pail and we scooped up some sand off the ocean floor? Dad was furious with us for going father than we'd said we were going." Alan smiled as he reminded John of when he was eleven years old. Gordon had babysitting duty during one of the first missions International Rescue had. _

_ Jeff had been exhausted after having stayed up the past 24 hours, Scott, and John both sleeping like the dead while Virgil remained awake analyzing notes and trying to figure out things they could do differently on the next mission. Alan had been pestering Gordon to go do something and Gordon asked their dad if he and Alan could go explore the reef. Jeff had given strict instructions to remain at the reef, no further because the rip tide could still pull them too far to swim._

_ Gordon and Alan went out, and had strayed too far from the reef, but they returned unharmed and they had spoils to match those of pirates having found booty worthy of kings – at least to two young boys it was treasure compared to the stuff pharaohs had locked away in the crypts with them. Being grounded had been a consequence but it'd been so worth it. _

_ Gordon and Alan had found seashells that they could give to Onaha so she could make them seashell wind-chimes for their bedrooms. They'd found some fossils of fish on rocks and a single shark tooth which both brothers argued over for days. It'd finally been decided that Alan should keep it since he'd been the one holding the pail and Gordon could keep the next one they found together. However, they never went out together shark tooth hunting again. Gordon delved more into his studies and before they knew it, he'd enlisted in W.A.S.P, had his accident, recovered in the hospital after multiple surgeries and then once he'd been cleared – he joined International Rescue. There'd been no time for Gordon and Alan to take part in their treasure hunts – now it was just Alan's thing when he was home from school on break._

"Wow! Thanks dad!" Gordon smiled like a little boy in a candy store, tearing John from his thoughts as Gordon examined a new tool set that he could use to work on Thunderbird 4.

"No problem son." Jeff smoothed Gordon's hair back – fingers lingering over the cow lick which remained stood up despite Gordon's hair having been wet previously.

Gordon opened the rest of his presents, thanking his grandmother for the new swim trunks, Lady Penelope for a new pair of sneakers (of which Gordon doubted she wanted to purchase, she was constantly trying to get Gordon and his brothers to wear trendier clothes, but none of them – except maybe Alan wore slightly overpriced clothes.) Alan's defense to that though was that each summer just before school started, Alan would go spend a week on holiday with Lady Penelope, Tin-Tin and Fermat at her summer lodge and Lady Penelope usually insisted on taking the kids clothes shopping and tactfully purchasing clothes which she deemed to be play clothes. He was normally forced into buying overpriced clothes as Lady Penelope couldn't stand shopping in department stores and would usually take the kids to high end boutiques.

Once the remaining presents had been opened, Jeff picked up the knife and cut into the cake before giving Gordon the first piece. Doling out slices of cake to everyone who was gathered, Jeff lifted a forkful of carrot cake before toasting to Gordon.

"A toast… to Gordon's twentieth birthday." Everyone followed Jeff's lead before they all raised forkfuls of cake in salute to the toast.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Dr. Warner smiled reassuringly at Alan as he rewound fresh bandages on Alan's feet. It'd been time to check Alan's sutures and was pleased to see that everything looked okay, Alan's surgical site wept a little, but that was to be expected. He however didn't see any lingering signs that Alan's body was trying to buck the transplant. And it'd been a little over twenty-four hours since the surgery was done.

"Well, do you want the good news, or the good news?" Dr. Warner fastened the bandages before stepping away from Alan's bed. He perched on the edge of Alan's bed as he removed a pair of his exam gloves.

"Can't I have both?" Alan asked with feign indifference. In reality he felt like a ball of energy and he was restraining himself from wheedling his doctor to death.

"Certainly son." Dr. Warner chucked the used gloves into the waste basket beside Alan's bed before returning his attention to Alan. "The good news is that it looks like the earlier nausea and vomiting you experienced was just your body's way of expelling the medicine that remained in your bloodstream."

"And?" Alan looked expectantly at his doctor, urging him to continue.

"And, it looks as though the transplant from Virgil took…I don't see any signs that your body is trying to refuse the transplant." Dr. Warner gave Alan the thumbs up. "Now what do you think of that news?"

The smile on Alan's face couldn't have gotten bigger if it'd tried. His eyes crinkled in the edges of his eyes and his dimples made themselves known as Alan smiled brightly.

"You have no idea how happy that makes me doc." Alan brushed discreetly at a few tears that started to make their descent down the side of his face.

"It can only go up from here." Dr. Warner reached out a hand and ruffled Alan's hair before he stood. "I need to go know, but rest assured I will be notifying your family."

"Thanks." Alan leaned back into his pillows and hunkered down as best as he could with the injuries and bed sores. Sniffling, Alan allowed the tears to freely fall uninhibited. He felt such relief at the news. Raising his hands, Alan wiped away the tears that had fallen before grabbing his laptop.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Jeff sat at the desk that was in the room he was sharing with his sons and skimmed through the news articles for the Massachusetts area. 'I m_ight as well keep current on the news in the area.'_

'_Construction to rebuild destroyed Wharton's School for boys to break ground this coming spring.__'_

Jeff hadn't intended to read any of the articles to in-depth, but that it made mention of the school - one that his own son and pseudo nephew attended attracted his attention. Clicking on the web link, Jeff viewed the pictures just before reading the article.

**Pictured above is the once majestic Wharton's school for boys – photo was taken two months before the fire took place. It was decorated for the Halloween extravaganza held for the attending students.**

**To the left is a picture of Wharton's the night of the fire. Fire exploded from the windows and doors of the palace like building – engulfing it entirely.**

**Below and to the right is a picture of the gathered students and staff who have called Wharton's home for this semester and to the right is a picture of two rescuers evacuating two students that escaped minutes before its imminent collapse.**

Jeff sat in stunned silence as he viewed the picture of an almost pure black Alan lying like a rag doll in Virgil's arms as Scott followed carrying Fermat who was in a similar state as Alan. Scrolling down, Jeff glimpsed another photo of a third rescuer who he assumed was Gordon supporting the taller of the two boys as he hung his head over the edge of the stretcher.

Shaking his head in disgust, Jeff scrolled past the remaining images of the school fire not wishing to view any more pictures of his injured baby boy. Stopping on the article, Jeff began to read the short article.

_ 'On the late night of December 19__th__ Wharton's school for boys was evacuated when fire alarms wailed into the night alerting staff and students alike to escape – the school having caught on fire. The fire quickly spread as the school is many years old and the timber used has aged._

_ The fire tore through the school quickly, leaving nothing but destruction in its wake. The famed Thunderbirds were called in to rescue some students that were hopelessly trapped within the raging inferno – just before the arrival of the Thunderbirds though, firefighters helped a couple students that jumped from the third floor window away from imminent danger, but rescuers were unprepared for a fire of that magnitude and were unable to enter the structure for safety reasons. Two students were left unaccounted for until the Thunderbirds prepared to enter at the cost of their lives at which time the two students raced out of the fire, their clothing swallowed by flames.'_

Jeff sat in stunned shock as his mind ran through the description of his son and pseudo nephew – their clothing smoldering on their bodies as they rolled in snow like they'd been taught with 'Stop, Drop and Roll'

_'Two of the rescuers swaddled the two injured boys in fire retardant blankets to smother the flames eating at their clothing as they screamed. Not even moments after escaping the flames, their rescuers carried them to a safe distance, before giving them oxygen from portable oxygen tanks._

_ Immediately, the rescuers loaded the two boys into the magnificent Thunderbird One to transport them to hospital, while firefighters doused the flames and school buses shuttled the boys to a hotel offering their services free of charge to give the boys a roof over their heads until morning light. _

_ Insurance companies are still investigating the cause of the fire, but have agreed to cover the medical expenses of all boys injured by the fire. In total six boys were injured. Two were severely burned with broken bones while the other four had mild burns and broken bones. Insurance companies we've talked to have decided that they will award the school with the money, just before ground is broken to rebuild as it has been found out that it was arson. Who did it is still under investigation however._

_ Plans to rebuild the school will be with the same layout as the previous Wharton, but dorms will be rebuilt to accommodate more students. Rather than keep the layout of the rooms at two boys per room, dorm halls will house a total of four boys each – per dorm halls - sub rooms will be built. With more students attending the school, tuition won't be as costly, thanks to the ability to house more students. Security will be tightened to prevent anything like this from happening again and the new building will be installed with fire escapes so that no matter what floor a student is on, they'll be able to escape with little to no problem should a calamity like this ever happen again.'_

Jeff ran a hand over his mouth, quickly balling up the newspaper; Jeff tossed it into the trash receptacle. None of his sons needed to see the pictures of their baby brother in that condition. He was okay. He was alive and he was healing. Jeff sat in silence as he contemplated the future. No matter what, whether he had the ability to walk or not…Alan and Fermat would be homeschooled so the family could keep an eye on them.

A ringing sound tore Jeff from his thoughts and he fumbled for his cell phone. He didn't know who'd be calling him, but he decided to answer the phone anyway.

"Hello, this is Jeff." Jeff answered the phone without checking the caller id on his cell phone so he had no way of knowing who was calling.

_ "Hello Mr. Tracy. Dr. Warner calling."_ Jeff sat up straighter as he heard the voice of the doctor. Quickly checking his watch, Jeff felt as though his head spun upon realizing that he and his sons have been up for over twenty-four hours.

"Dr. Warner! Hi, how are my sons?" Jeff chewed on his lip.

"That's why I was calling Mr. Tracy. Virgil is doing well; he's already gotten up to do some laps around his quarters with a walker and a nurse so his legs don't get stiff." Dr. Warner replied with a smile in his voice. "As for Alan, it's okay to breathe. The transplant took and Alan's surgical sites look good. I've already been to change his bandages and aside from feeling ill earlier, which had me worried initially – Alan's better and he's also in higher spirits."

"Ill?" Jeff adopted a crest fallen look as he heard news no parent wanted to hear.

"Yes, Alan threw up a couple times and he was running a fever for a while, but his fever broke three hours ago and he was actually hungry for some chicken noodle soup earlier. He ate every bite and if it wasn't for the nurse holding the spoon, I'm sure Alan would have eaten that too." Dr. Warner informed. "Barring Graft Vs Host Disease I don't foresee Alan encountering anything too detrimental to his health."

"Doctor that is like music to my ears." Jeff felt himself relax at the news. His baby boy was okay and for now, he felt like he could breathe. "Thank you so much."

"No problem, I'm afraid I can't stay on the phone too much longer, but I promised Alan I'd give you a call." Dr. Warner replied.

Jeff exchanged pleasantries with the man before hanging up. Tapping the cell phone against his chin, Jeff made a split decision to go see his three sons that were currently holing up in the pool area outside, they were taking advantage of the warmth and sun and were working on a tan – or sunburn…whichever son had forgotten to wear sunscreen. Grabbing his swim trunks that his mother had embarrassingly packed for him when Penny and Parker brought her up with them and a t-shirt, Jeff quickly changed before donning a pair of sandals which again his mother had brought with her for him before grabbing a towel and leaving the room.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

John floated lazily on a lilo as he basked in the warm sun. He'd had enough of the snow to last him a lifetime. He held his hands up to ward off splashing water when Gordon jack-knifed into the water from the diving board. Scott played water volleyball with a group of people who needed another person to make the game even. Glancing up from where he'd been playing with the drawstrings of his shorts, John sat up straighter at the sight of his dad.

Raising his hand, John waved at his dad. Jeff waved back before removing his shirt and joining in on the water fun. John stayed where he was on the lilo, but held his breath when suddenly it flipped and he found himself under the water. Resurfacing, John wiped the water from his eyes as he glared at his dad. Jeff stole his lilo.

"Hello to you too dad." John held onto the armrest on the lilo he'd previously been occupying.

"So I've got some news on your brothers…any idea when Gordon and Scott can join us?" Jeff looked around, before spotting Scott waving to the other people he'd been playing volleyball with.

"Looks like Scott will be with us momentarily." John gazed up towards the top of the diving board to see Gordon preparing to jump. "And Gordon soon too…no doubt."

Jeff and John remained where they were, John holding onto the armrest of his lilo. When Gordon and Scott finally joined them, it was a look of apprehension which greeted Jeff.

"You hear anything on Alan and Virge dad?" Scott's eyebrows crinkled together as a look of worry replaced the apprehension.

"Yes, as a matter of fact. I just got off the phone with the doctor." Jeff began, pausing slightly when he stopped to wrap his head around it.

"What'd he say?" Gordon grappled onto the opposite arm of the lilo and gazed up at his dad with pleading eyes.

"First off like he told me in the same order, Virgil seems to be doing well. He's already been up to walk around with a nurse – doing a few laps around his room." Jeff smiled when he saw John and Scott heave a sigh.

"What about Alan?" Gordon desperately wanted to know anything about his baby brother.

"The surgery was a success. Alan's body didn't refuse the donation and he's doing well."

To see his sons relax into the water the way they had, made Jeff think of a pan of boiled spaghetti noodles…his three sons seemed to sink into the water, relaxed and untroubled by the news they heard.

"What a relief." Gordon raised a pruned hand from the water to smooth back his hair. Scott heaved a deep sigh and John smiled, feeling better now that what seemed like the weight of the world was no longer resting upon his shoulders. "I take it that Alan was more than happy to hear that news?"

"The way the doctor worded it, Alan was over the moon. He was sick for a brief time, as his body was trying to get rid of the anesthesia, but now he's okay and the doctor said that Alan ate every bite of his lunch and might have eaten the spoon if there hadn't been a nurse feeding him his lunch." Jeff said with an easygoing smile.

"The sprout inhaling his food is something I wouldn't mind seeing, he eats so slowly whenever we see him." Scott chuckled as he thought of all the times that he'd chided Gordon about not chewing his food.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: So I hope you all enjoyed the first two chapters of the Escape From Hell Fire sequel Rising From The Ashes...please review!**_

_**It would make my 23rd birthday awesome to see any and all feedback ya'll have.**_

_**Note to anyone who read this story without reading the first story - it will make a whole heck of a lot more sense if you read the story Escape From Hell Fire rather than just tuning in as I will be making references from the last story in this and I'd hate to confuse any of you.**_

**Just as a heads up though, because of my being a full time college student, updating may be a little sporadic - you may not see hide nor hair of me for days, maybe weeks - but I will post as I get the chapters worked on.**

**Ta-Ta for now!**

**~Angel~**


	3. My Brother, My Friend

Fermat lay in his bed, a broad smile straining on his face as he talked with his best friend.

"T-That's awesome news A-Alan!" Fermat gave his friend a thumb up. "H-How do you f-feel?"

"I feel okay now, I was sick for a little while…but my nurse Karen assured me that it was just my body trying to get rid of the remaining medicine in my system, of course I don't know how throwing up gets it out of my system when the medicine was inhaled." Alan replied sardonically.

"I don't t-think we're supposed to t-think so much on the w-why…just focus o-on getting better." Fermat requested of his friend.

"You've got it Ferm…say, want to join me in a group chat and I'll call Jem and the others?" Alan tilted his head in question, before lifting his hand to loop the fallen cannula tubing back behind his ear.

"S-Sure Alan." Fermat navigated to the icon on WeChat and selected group so that his and Alan's call wouldn't disconnect when Alan tried to call Jamie and the others. "I'm i-in group now."

"Cool, thanks Ferm." Alan replied as he selected the people he wanted to call while on this call with Fermat. Three windows opened since Eddy wasn't likely to have his laptop up and running…whenever they had a group chat either Jamie or Eddy hung out with the other so they were in the same room and had no need for a second laptop.

"Hey! Mayhem, Ace – what are you two doing?" Alan and Fermat smiled when Josh's face was lit up on their screens.

"Laying around…what about you?" Alan replied as he settled back into his pillows.

"Trying to convince my mom to let me stay home from school today…I hardly slept a wink last night and I'm tired." Josh looked tired to both Alan and Fermat too, and he was usually never so in the time that they knew him. "Damn nightmares kept me going all night."

"Still dreaming about the fire?" Alan inquired as he and Fermat both still experienced nightmares periodically.

"Dude, yeah…I don't know what I can do – but it's really starting to bug me. My grades are going down the drain because I'm so damn tired all the time." Josh rubbed at his eyes.

"M-maybe it wouldn't h-hurt to talk to a c-counselor J-Josh…l-let some of it off y-your shoulders." Fermat suggested knowing how Josh usually hated discussing weakness.

"I don't know man…I'm beginning to think that's going to be my only option. I've got to get a decent night's sleep before I kill myself." Josh yawned. "Listen, I'll be right back…I'm going to go ask my mom if I can just stay home today – she knows I've been having a rough time and I don't think she'll mind much."

"Kay." Alan and Fermat replied in unison as they watched Josh shuffle past his bedroom door still in his pajamas.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in."

"Hello to you too Todd." Alan made a face at his friend who was like Josh and still in his pajamas – but with the added accessory of a spoon stuck to his nose. "Must you always do that Todd?"

"What? It's like my signature greeting." Todd smirked at Alan from behind the spoon that was still stuck to his nose.

"I t-take it you're s-staying home from s-school too?" Fermat inquired of his friend after recognizing Todd's choice sleepwear. Even when they were at school together, it was known among the friends that Todd can't stand having his arms restricted so he always wore a wife beater tank top…no matter how cold it got outside.

"No, he got suspended for getting in a fight." Eddy replied as he and Jamie joined the group chat, having just come in after hearing Fermat's question.

"You're a lover though…not a fighter – what got your goat?" Alan inquired as he looked at his friend.

"I was protecting my brothers okay! Some jackass read somewhere in the paper about the Wharton fire and it was talk on campus that Eddy, Jamie, Josh and I were all from there. It's not a big secret that two of our best friends and brothers were badly burned in the fire – we were asked about it the first day that we all started there." Todd crossed his arms. "The jerk was asking for it when he said the two guys badly injured in the fire should have known not to play with fire. I punched his lights out, and I don't regret it!"

Alan was taken aback by Todd's anger. He knew his friend was very slow to anger, so for him to get in a fight and to knock someone out cold – he would have been pissed off.

"Okay, I'm back. My mom said I could have the day to get some sleep; apparently she and dad came and woke me three times last night because I was tossing and turning so much. She's calling my Aunt Jan's therapist to see if she can squeeze me in." Josh rested his elbows on the table top and let his head hang as he yawned again. Lifting his eyes, he waved halfheartedly at his other friends. "Hey guys, how's it going?"

"When was the last time you slept J-boy?" Eddy asked as he and Jamie shared a look.

"Last night, but I kept having nightmares." Josh kept his gaze trained on Eddy and each of his friends could see Josh's eyes were bloodshot from lack of proper sleep. "Changing the subject, how are you doing Mayhem? Had that surgery yet?"

All eyes were suddenly trained on Alan and they all looked at their pale faced friend who had an oxygen cannula trailing just below his nose and up over the tops of his ears. When Alan smiled everybody let out a sigh.

"Yeah, had it yesterday morning about 4…the donation from my brother took." Alan replied with a grin.

"How you feeling? They got you higher than a kite?" Todd enquired.

"No, just got me on some Tylenol three I think…my pain is manageable." Alan rolled his head back to look up at the label on his IV bag. "Yeah, it's Tylenol three."

"So you can read? They don't have you loopy enough." Todd remarked with another smirk.

"Bite me." Alan snarked back at Todd. His friend liked to tease him occasionally because he was blonde and the only blonde in their small group of friends. Alan didn't mind, it wasn't like Todd was calling him stupid, he was just picking.

"Oh, no thanks…I'm not hungry." Todd grinned at his friend.

"So do you know how long you'll be in lock up?" Eddy asked

"Two months…I have to recover for about two weeks then have another surgery. They'll work on my legs next." Alan adopted a solemn look on his face. "I think my brother John will be my donor then, god help him – poor guy is deathly terrified of needles."

"Out of all your brothers, John the space walker is terrified of needles?" Jamie asked.

"Yeah Jem…had a bad experience with a school nurse. He was terrified after that." Alan informed.

"What happened to him?" Eddy asked, he was always happy to listen to Alan tell stories of his family. He thought it was so cool that he was friends with Jeff Tracy's youngest son. He and each of the boys looked up to Jeff Tracy and Alan knew that they idolized his father. But they weren't friends with Alan just to be close to their hero, no they were friends because Alan was a kick-ass all around cool guy and he had a wicked sense of humor.

"He had to have a booster shot when he was twelve…the school nurse was scary – even I was scared of her when I initially saw her and I was too young to attend elementary school. My grandfather took me to the school to go pick up John because the school called and John was in hysterics over getting a shot." Alan looked away thoughtfully. "We showed up and the nurse…at least the way I remember her had this perpetual frown, a uni-brow…"

"Dude! A uni-brow?!"

"A uni-brow…anyway she was standing beside the bed where John was sitting – bawling his eyes out. When me and my grandfather came in John ran to us and told grandpa that the mean lady stabbed him. My grandfather asked her how hard she administered the shot and noticed that she gave the shot a little too…exuberantly and she bruised John's arm. My grandpa made me and John sit in the hall while he had a very loud conversation with the school nurse."

"How mad was he?" Jem asked.

"I ever tell you that my grandfather's grandparents were originally from Germany? That's how I knew…because when my grandpa got mad he'd start speaking in German. Trust me, it was not pretty." Alan grinned.

"So is that what you did when Ro-…" Josh started to ask but stopped himself.

"Yes, I insulted Robert in German that one time that you guys were with me on the soccer field. My brothers and I know how to speak German because my grandpa taught us how." _'And because you tend to speak different languages when you are part of International Rescue…there's a reason it's called __**International**__ Rescue.'_

"You'll have to teach us sometime…then when we're out together we can talk together in German. That'd be so cool." Eddy chimed in with a grin.

"Maybe some time when after I can have visitors outside of family you guys can come hang out with me and Fermat for a day." Alan smiled at his friends when they all nodded exuberantly.

"We'd love that dude! Geez, it feels like a lifetime since we all just got together to hang out." Todd crowed.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Gordon fell onto his bed in the hotel room after the relaxing shower. Dressed for bed, Gordon rolled over to bury his face in the pillows. He hadn't slept in a bed in probably well over twenty-four hours and the pillows and mattress were just the right comfort level. The toilet flushing and bathroom door opening made Gordon lift his head to stare at his eldest brother. Scott decided to forgo a shower for the evening – deciding he'd take one in the morning and instead dressed for bed himself.

Scanning over Scott, Gordon took in his haggard features. His normally comfortable looking pajamas looked like they were swallowing him whole and Gordon couldn't help further appraisal of his brother. His t-shirt was baggy rather than fitted, pant legs of his pajama bottoms were dragging along the ground around his ankles rather than remaining just below his shins. Scott looked like he'd lost weight in these three (three?) months since Alan and Fermat's hospitalization.

"I can hear you thinking Gords. Shut up." Scott replied with a slight lisp, the retainer that he had to wear for sleep making him sound like Sylvester the cat.

"You know we'll need to get a new retainer for Alan when this is all over right?" Gordon said in a moment of being thunderstruck.

"What? Why?" Scott clenched his teeth, no doubt ensuring that his own retainer was fitted properly. He like all the Tracy boys had to wear a retainer – for the rest of their natural lives or at least until they were old men with dentures. Even their father still wore a retainer from time to time. They sometimes like to tease their dad for his own little lisp which was barely noticeable.

"The fire? I don't think Alan was wearing his retainer…I haven't seen hide nor hair of it since I talked to the sprout a few days before the fire and Alan had been wearing it then." Gordon paused as he tried to recall if he'd seen the retainer in Alan's mouth while fitting an oxygen mask over his face in Thunderbird One's small med bay the night of the fire. Shaking his head Gordon spoke again. "I think it was destroyed along with everything else in the fire."

"Do you think dad still has Alan's back up retainer at the house? Maybe we could have Tin-Tin send it and we could get it to Alan so his teeth don't space out too much." Scott pondered.

"I don't think so. That one Alan had _was_ his back up I think…his last one got lost on a school trip if I'm not mistaken." Gordon tried to recall, but couldn't remember if Alan's spare retainer was still in the medicine cabinet in the main bathroom at home. He knew Alan usually kept his with him in the en suite, but couldn't remember if he'd seen the box in the medicine cabinet in the main floor bathroom at all.

"Next time we talk to Kyrano or the ladies, we'll need to ask them to check the medicine cupboard for Alan's spare retainer." Scott walked over before physically rolling Gordon over. "Scoot over, you and I are sharing tonight."

"Okay…" Gordon moved over before looking around the room. "Where are dad and John?"

"Beats me." Scott climbed onto the bed before crawling beneath the bed covers. "They'll turn up shortly."

Gordon followed Scott's example and slid beneath the blankets. Settling into his pillow, Gordon squirmed briefly before finding a comfortable position to sleep in. Scott reached over and tousled Gordon's hair fondly before setting off to go to sleep.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

John walked down the street, his dad by his side. Gazing up at the sky, John picked out his mother's star and smiled. It always filled him with a sense of warmth whenever he looked upon that star. His eyes widened as another star shot across the atmosphere.

"Close your eyes and make a wish Jo-Jo." Jeff himself smiled up into the sky, his thoughts turning to Lucy and Alan. Seeing the star above that was named in honor of his late wife comforted him. Whispering a wish into the heavens, Jeff wished upon the star in hopes that anyone up there would hear his wish and grant it for Alan having a quick recovery. He'd already completed one of the surgeries and came through without a problem one. Glancing over at John, Jeff saw John's face upturned towards the heavens – his eyes closed as he mouthed the words '_I wish_…'

"And make my wish come true." John finally opened his eyes enough to gaze up at the stars. Seeing his late mother's star twinkle some made John feel as if his mother had heard his own wish for Alan and would do her best to grant that wish for them.

"How are you doing Jo-Jo?" Jeff lightly patted John's shoulder, making the young man shrug.

"I don't know. I mean I'm happy for Alan – I'm so damn happy to hear that surgery went off without a hitch, but…" John shrugged again. "I don't know, now I'm just getting worried."

"About?" Jeff let John's use of language slide, even if he didn't like hearing any of his sons cuss – there were adults now and if it expressed how they were feeling then – go for it.

"What if after all of this…the surgery, recovery, therapy…what if Alan still doesn't?" John couldn't bring himself to finish that sentence.

"Doesn't regain his ability to feel sensations and walk?" Jeff finished for his son. John's muted nod made Jeff pause to think. "Then we'll work on it with him. If he is unable to walk because he can't feel – then I'll hire some contractors – the same ones that built the villa and have them go in to alter the house in order to accommodate Alan's wheelchair. Maybe build an addition onto the infirmary and make it a therapy room – one where we can work with Alan gradually."

"But don't you think that'd make Alan feel as if he was burdening us by having to alter the house so…drastically?" John inquired.

"I think it'd make him feel more of a burden if his wheelchair got stuck in a doorway because he wasn't able to maneuver through the threshold. He'd be totally dependent on us having to get him from point A to point B." Jeff shook his head. "Can you imagine our prideful Alan having to wait for one of us to get back from our business trips to help him get up the stairs to go to bed? I can't. If necessary, I'll alter the house as I see fit so that Alan can be totally independent. He'll need that security to remind him that we still love him – no matter what."

John nodded slowly, he could understand that. Alan was trying to assert his independence and if he was resigned to a wheelchair – it'd practically kill Alan to rely solely on his family to help him around.

"Anything else on your mind son?" Jeff asked as he continued to walk in time with John – father and son not walking anywhere with purpose.

"The next upcoming surgery. I'm scared of those twenty-four hours following the surgery. What if my skin doesn't take like it did with Virgil?" John voiced his concerns.

"Then I suppose we'll deal with it then John. There isn't a point in fretting over it now, not when it is still a ways off." Jeff reasoned.

"I know, but it's just hard not to worry. It's what I do. I'm the family worry-wart." John redirected his attention at the passing traffic. "I just wish there was more I could do for Alan."

"Trust me son, you're doing enough just by hanging tough while this is going on. Alan is going to need all of us as he walks…" Jeff grimaced before rephrasing his sentence. "Travels this road to recovery."

"I know. But even though we told Alan we'd be back in Manhattan in a week – I can't help but feel like we abandoned him and Virgil." John carded his fingers through his hair.

"Do you want to talk it over with the guys and shorten our trip?" Jeff offered as an out. To be honest, he wished that Alan hadn't made them swear to stay away for longer than a couple hours. He too felt like he'd essentially abandoned his two sons.

"No, we promised Alan…I just wish we could return to be a little bit closer." John replied.

"Do you want to return home? Talk to Penny about reactivating IR for a week then going offline for a while longer?" Jeff suggested innocently. At John's shake of the head, Jeff tilted his head in question.

"No to reactivating business. We could return home for a few days, but I promised Alan that I wasn't doing any work until he could be there to reactivate business with us." John recounted his promise to Alan, how he also hadn't felt good about leaving Alan to worry and wonder about his family when there was absolutely nothing he could do from a hospital bed. "Gordo could probably use his diving pool while Scott and I could use a good jaunt on the beach."

"Then why don't we return and suggest it to your brothers and grandma?" Jeff said as he and John continued to walk in the comfortably warm evening of the California night.

"Yeah, to be honest I could go for another of Onaha's home cooked meals again. Restaurant food is good, but it doesn't hit the spot as well as Onaha's meals do." John developed a dreamy sort of smile at the mouth watering food that Onaha made.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Alan rolled over in bed and gazed out his hermetically sealed hospital window. The first non-snowy night in a long while and all Alan wanted to do was go sit by his window seat and gaze outside at the scenery. He couldn't sleep, he felt really anxious for some reason. Glancing over at the clock that hung on the wall, Alan sighed.

'_That's it, three in the morning – if I'm not asleep now I should probably go ahead and just stay awake for the time being.'_ Reaching out with his left hand, Alan snagged the rollaway table by his bed that held his laptop and he pulled it over to him. He couldn't contact any of his friends, he'd talked with them and Fermat practically all afternoon until Todd's dad made him get off the computer – reminding the boy that he was grounded and had no computer privileges and Josh's mom made Josh get off the computer to take a nap – then he'd be going to have a meeting with his aunt Jan's therapist who squeezed him in after a cancellation. Jamie and Eddy were the last to get off until their mom called them down for dinner. After everyone else left the group chat, Fermat left then because his dad came to visit him.

Going to the internet, Alan decided to read the newspaper online. He'd done that quite often thanks to one of his professors requesting they all read the newspaper in order to come up with a class discussion. Traveling to the state of Massachusetts news page, Alan froze as he read one of the sliding headlines.

'_Construction to rebuild destroyed Wharton's School for boys to break ground this coming spring.__'_

"What?" Alan clicked on the news article to pull it up so that he may read what it said. However, he was assaulted with images of Virgil carrying him while Scott carried Fermat with fire retardant blankets swaddled around both boys. Alan's eyes traveled below the pictures to read the captions.

**A picture of two rescuers evacuating two students that escaped minutes before its imminent collapse.**

Glancing back up at the pictures, he was shocked to pick out a familiar face in the crowd of students gathered outside of the burning Wharton. Robert stood within the throng of students with a heated gaze directed at the building. Averting his gaze back to that of Virgil and Scott carrying him and Fermat away from the danger zone, Alan bit his lip as he looked at the color picture – the orange glow behind Virgil and Scott reminded Alan of that night. He had little memory of escaping the fire – his family and doctor reasoning that he'd blocked it out as it'd been a traumatizing memory.

"No, no, no, no, no, no. Please no." Alan clutched at the sides of his head as memories that he couldn't remember assaulted him left and right. "Daddy! Make it stop. Please!"

Curling into a ball on the bed, Alan continued to cry and whimper. Gripping his hair, Alan tried not to give in to instinct and bawl his eyes out but sometimes nature had a way of going full speed ahead whether the person in the storm's path wanted it or not.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

The ringing of Jeff's cell phone startled him from sleep and he reached over top of John to grab his phone from the nightstand. Answering the phone without looking at the id screen Jeff answered.

"Hello, this is Jeff." Stifling a yawn, Jeff waited for whoever to start speaking.

_"Dad, it's Virgil!"_ The medic sounded panicked.

"Virgil what's the matter? Is everything okay?" Jeff came awake the moment he heard his middle child speak.

"_Dad, it's Alan…I don't know what's going with him!" _Virgil's voice broke in his panic. "_Allie, please stop!"_

"Virgil what's going on with your brother?" Jeff threw his bed covers off and stood, stepping into the hall so as to not disturb his other three sons who were actually sleeping.

_"Dad, please! You've got to come back! Alan, I think he's had a psychotic break."_ Virgil gasped. "_Allie stop it, please! You'll only hurt yourself more! Please!"_

"What do you mean?" Jeff asked, alarm dripping from his tone.

"_Dr. Warner came to get me to try to calm Alan down. He wouldn't stop crying and he's been ripping his hair out. Alan won't let anyone touch him and he keeps demanding to see you, but he won't let me come close enough to give him the phone so he can talk to you." _Virgil's voice hiccupped as if he was trying not to cry. "_Dr. Warner had to break protocol and he had to call the psych ward to bring restraints. Alan won't stop! Please dad, you've got to come back! He needs you…I need you!"_

Jeff didn't even want to think of waking his other three boys at the moment, Parker and Penny were still around. Making a split decision, Jeff stormed down the hall, still on his phone and knocked loudly on the door which Parker was staying in. He'd have Parker take him back to Manhattan tonight and his other boys could return the next day or the day after – his mother would make sure they didn't hot-foot it back to Manhattan. With the way FAB-1 could fly, he could be back in Manhattan in two hours. Faster than the family jet, but certainly not fast enough for Jeff's taste.

Parker's bedroom door opened and Parker stood there in his dressing gown, and Jeff knew he was holding a handgun in the back waistband for protection. That was how Parker was.

"How may I be of service to ye Master Tracy?" Parker could see the stress on Jeff's face and wondered what the problem was. Jeff held a finger up signaling to Parker to wait a moment.

"Virgil, I'm talking to Parker right now…I'll be back as soon as I can, but I need you to remain strong for me okay? Keep your head on and try to do whatever it takes to get your brother to calm down. Sing to him, do anything. I should be back in about two-two and a half hours."

"_Okay…I'll try." _Virgil took a big healthy sniff – telling Jeff that things were really bad if it reduced Virgil to tears.

"Good man. I love you and tell Alan I love him too." Jeff said gently into his phone before disconnecting the call. "Parker, I need you to take me back to Manhattan. It's urgent."

"Whatever ye' say sir. I'll be with you before you can say 'Bob's your uncle.' I'll meet you in the car garage." Parker stepped back so as to close the door and Jeff walked with purpose back down the hall; before entering the room quietly.

Locating his clothes – Jeff stepped into the bathroom to dress. He'd leave his luggage for now, not like he'd be returning to the hotel anytime soon. Moving swiftly and silently back over to the spot between the beds, Jeff located a pad and paper and by the light of his cell phone wrote a harried note to his sons so that they'd know where he'd gone. He apologized for having cut their trip short, but he knew they'd understand. With that Jeff left the room and practically ran down the hall to reach the parking garage where Parker was warming up FAB-1 for flight.

Opening the front passenger door, Jeff slid in. "Go, get us in the air – please Parker."

"Yes sir." Parker pulled out of the place and drove swiftly until he reached a sleepy rural town and took flight once the coast was clear. Jeff sat wound tighter than a rubber band ball. Speaking softly, Parker tried to act as Jeff's confidant as Parker was known to do. There was a reason for Alan's nickname for Parker being Nosey. "Is something wrong with young Master Alan sir?"

Jeff chose that moment to release a pent up sigh as he leaned forward.

"I don't know any more Parker. If it's not one thing it's another and to be quite frank with you I am growing tired of this. Just once, why can't things go smoothly for Alan, hasn't my baby had enough thrust at him?" Jeff began chewing on his thumbnail. "Virgil called me in an absolute panic because Alan seems to have lost it. He keeps demanding to see me, but won't let anyone near him and he had to be restrained."

Hearing what Jeff just said, made Parker push FAB-1 just that little bit harder, not wanting to keep father and son from being reunited. He quite liked Alan, Jeff, each of the boys – even if he hadn't acted like it at first. Jeff's sons – primarily Alan grew on him and it was hard for Parker to ignore anything that Jeff or his sons requested. To get Jeff to the hospital so he could help any way he could was a small price in return for a few lost hours of sleep.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Virgil sat in his wheelchair, a blanket draped over his legs, hospital gown open in the back and mask in place before his mouth. He sat as close as he could to Alan's bed, just barely within touching distance and Alan continued to fight the restraints.

"No! No! No! Dad! Dad! Dad! Please! No! No! No!" Alan's head flopped from side to side as he chanted the same thing over and over. Virgil shook, tears dripping from his lashes as he watched with a broken heart as Alan continued his monotonous and terror filled chant. His eyes were unblinking and Virgil wished the kid would just blink already. Anytime anyone tried to touch Alan, the boy's fight and vigor would renew with him fighting his restraints. Sniffling again, Virgil started humming again as he had been doing since the doctor retrieved him to attempt to calm Alan.

"No! No! Dad! Please! No! I can't breathe, it's hot…dad? Please!" Alan continued carrying on and Virgil restrained the want to scoot forward to cup Alan's face.

"Oh Allie." Virgil lifted a shaking hand but had to stop himself from touching Alan. The boy's head continued to loll from side to side as if caught in a hallucination. "Please hurry dad."

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Jeff didn't wait for FAB-1 to come to a full stop before he exited the vehicle. Throwing a word of thanks over his shoulder, Jeff entered the hospital at a jog. Parker watched Jeff run in past the doors before deciding he'd follow Jeff's previous wishes to return to the hotel so he could be of some help for when everyone in California woke up

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: So I mentioned Alan's grandfather spoke German when angry - I only mentioned that because according to my father - that's what my grandfather used to do. He himself was born stateside, but his parents had immigrated from Germany and they taught him to speak German and he'd learned English whilst being raised in the US. My dad occasionally speaks in German, though he's never actually tried to teach me or my brother what he's saying and my mom doesn't have a clue either. He says we don't need to know - so I'm guessing it's not something very kind.<br>**_


	4. A Broken Plea

Virgil stood on shaky legs as he looked down on Alan. The kid was finally given a sedative and he'd slipped into a semi-conscious state. He still turned his head this way and that, but not nearly as violently as it had been, but his ramblings had continued but at a quieter magnitude as opposed to his shouting earlier. The door opened and Jeff was granted entrance. Virgil turned and instantly recognized his father's strong presence. Opening his arms, Virgil practically fell into his dad's strong arms.

"Dad, I couldn't get him to stop." Virgil's voice cracked as he picked up a small clump of Alan's hair which the kid had really ripped out of his head. He as an older brother had been terrified when he'd been awoken by Dr. Warner shaking him and trying to get him up and out of bed. When he'd entered the room at Dr. Warner's insistence, Virgil was mollified to see a nurse pressing a towel to Alan's temple where he'd begun bleeding from having ripped his own hair from his head.

Restraints had already been fastened to Alan's wrists and around his ankles – pinning him to the bed. The moment Virgil came into view though, Alan's fight picked up in intensity and if it hadn't been for the restraints, Virgil was sure Alan might have actually strangled him. He'd been growling like a wild animal and clenching his teeth together as he fought the restraints.

"I know son, let me see if I can get him to calm down." Jeff reached up with a gloved finger and rubbed beneath Virgil's eyes, wiping the tears away from his worried middle child. Moving over to stand beside Alan's bed, Jeff leaned down to speak to his boy. "Allie, it's dad…what's going on baby?"

"He, he's, he's, he's, he's…" Alan couldn't slow down his words and Jeff defaulted back to when Alan was a small child and couldn't finish sentences for talking faster than his brain could process the words.

"Alan, slow down. Tell me what he's doing?" Jeff remained standing above Alan.

"He's, He's gonna, daddy, he's hurting me. Please make him stop. I didn't mean anything by it. My team and me – we, we, we, we, we won fair and…fair and square. Why is he gonna hurt me daddy, why?" Alan spoke at a frenzied pace, finally breaking out of his eerie chanting from earlier.

"Who's gonna hurt you Allie? You can tell me son." Jeff leaned closer, but turned his head when Alan pointed at Virgil.

"Robert, Robert, Robert, Robert – dad, careful…he's got a, a, a, a knife. Please dad. You've got to stop him dad. He's gonna hurt me." Jeff's face paled at hearing Alan's rambling before glancing over his shoulder to look at Virgil. Both of them were shocked, but for Alan to think Virgil was Robert, Virgil wasn't lying when he said he'd believed Alan had a psychotic break.

"A lighter, a lighter, a lighter…dad he's got a lighter. He's gonna hurt me again. Please don't let him." Alan rambled – totally unaware of the distress he was causing his dad and brother.

"Alan, hey…hey bud. Calm down okay? It's just dad. Robert's not gonna hurt you anymore – he's in jail. This is Virgil, you like Virgil – he's your brother…remember? Ssh, calm down son." Jeff managed to smooth Alan's bangs back from his face. Alan's eyes were wild and his pupils had almost completely swallowed the blue of his eyes.

Alan's breathing slowed considerably from his hyperventilating and he closed his eyes as the adrenaline began to wear off.

"Dad…stay?" Alan seemed to return to himself and he gripped his father's hands tightly – not wanting to allow his father to leave him for fear of Robert coming back to get him. Glancing over his shoulder, Jeff saw Drs. Warner and Andreessen in the doorway and they both nodded before Jeff set up shop on Alan's bed. Crossing his legs at the ankles, Jeff allowed Alan to snuggle into his grasp, feeling better for having made the flight out there. Virgil sat in his wheelchair for a few minutes before turning to wheel back to his room.

"I guess I'll see you later dad." Hanging his head, Virgil began to wheel away when Jeff stopped him.

"Virgil, I don't think having another person in here is going to make much difference. Stay here." Jeff held a hand out beckon Virgil to return. "That is okay, right doctor?"

Dr. Warner who stood just out in the hall spoke through the intercom.

"_That'll be fine Jeff. You and Virgil were both properly sterilized before entry so there shouldn't be any problems. However, if either of you should begin feeling under the weather…you must take precautions and leave so as to not infect Alan." _Dr. Warner advised. "_Virgil, I'll send for a bed to be brought in for you."_

"Thank you very much doctor." Virgil turned back towards Alan and his dad before wheeling closer to his brother's bed. Alan was lying in their father's arms, blinking intermittently as if he was half there…half not – which while not preferred was likely happening. Virgil felt himself seemingly grow smaller. "I wish I knew what it was that brought this on."

Jeff leaned against the headboard, cradling Alan closely in his arms. Scratching the back of his head; Jeff ran his fingers through Alan's hair, keenly avoiding the partial bald spot where Alan had obviously ripped hair from his head.

"I don't think we'll know what caused this until Alan either tells us or we bring in a professional." Jeff didn't stop his ministrations as ALan snuggled into his chest. "What did the doctor say when he retrieved you Virgil?"

Virgil leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on the arms of the chair Virgil allowed his head to hang in dejection. Shaking his head, Virgil began to speak.

"Dr. Warner woke me up, told me that he couldn't get Alan to calm down, asked if there was anything I could think of to calm him down before he hurt himself and I persuaded him to let me see Alan. I thought that if he saw a familiar face that maybe he'd calm down, but then as soon as I entered the room – his aggression and anxiety just skyrocketed." Virgil spoke softly when it seemed as if Alan had finally fallen asleep. "Alan had already ripped some hair from his head and wouldn't hold still for the nurses trying to stop the bleeding. When I couldn't get Alan to calm down, Dr. Warner called the psych ward to get soft restraints and some orderlies came up to restrain Alan to the bed. I called you barely five minutes later."

Jeff sat in silence as he gathered everything Virgil said. Something had set Alan off and he wondered what that something was. His eye caught the glimmering of a moving image on Alan's laptop and he motioned for Virgil to lift the lid. What the two of them saw made them shiver – but it gave Jeff insight into what it was that caused Alan's psychotic episode. There in the middle of the screen was a color picture of Virgil carrying a limp Alan – the glow of the fire illuminating them. Alan's head was resting comfortably in the crook of Virgil's arm in the picture however he looked like a spaghetti noodle that was over boiled – his legs and arms hung limply (broken arm draped over his chest).

"Why would they put this picture in the newspaper dad?" Virgil was at a loss as he looked at the picture – he was shocked, but was sure this image caused Alan's psychosis.

"I don't know Virgil, but I plan on contacting them first thing tomorrow to request they take it from their website – I'll tell them the truth…my son, the victim saw the picture and had flashbacks of the fire and experienced PTSD." Jeff was determined to do anything for Alan so he wouldn't experience the same thing again. "If they refuse, I swear I will threaten with a lawsuit."

"I don't blame you dad. Just seeing that picture makes me think of memories I'd rather not think of." Virgil replied just as the door opened to reveal a hospital bed. "There's my bed, now to wonder if I'll actually be able to sleep."

"Oh you will Virgil…Dr. Warner has asked me to give you and Alan both something for sleep." Turning her gaze to Jeff Karen spoke. "And I won't hesitate to give you a taste if you don't follow doctor's orders and try to sleep yourself."

"Yes ma'am." Jeff didn't think he'd have trouble falling asleep, he was still dog tired especially after being woken up at three something in the morning and making a literal flying trip to the eastern seaboard.

Karen stopped the bed within arm's reach of Alan's bed before shoost ing Virgil ahead of her to climb in to bed before she tucked the young man in. Raising a hypodermic needle to the IV tubing, Karen injected some medicine to help Virgil sleep before doing the same with Alan and making a motion as if she was prepared to do the same to Jeff if he didn't close his eyes that moment.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

John opened his eyes slowly to the bright morning light and yawned before rolling over. Glancing to his left, John noticed his dad's side of the bed was empty and a quick pat told John that his dad hadn't been in bed for some time. Rolling over to look at the clock, John noticed his dad's cell phone was gone and in its place was a note. Picking up the note, John read through it before he slapped a hand to his forehead.

"Oh god, I don't believe it!" Springing up from his bed, John gathered his clothes and began to dress over his boxers and tank top which acted as his pajamas the night before. His frantic scrabbling woke Scott and Gordon almost immediately.

"What?" Scott craned his neck to look at his John.

"What's going on?" Gordon lifted his head from beneath the pillow he'd burrowed under at some point.

"Dad left." John hopped on one foot as he hurriedly slid his socks on.

"What do you mean?" Scott sat up further as he rubbed sleep from his eyes. The note fluttering into his lap was John's answer.

"Read it and weep." John displayed incredible balance as he stood on one foot while tying the laces on his shoes.

"Lemme see." Scott read through the note before his reaction was practically identical to John's reaction. "Damn it all!"

"What?" Gordon pulled the pillow from off the top of his head as he watched his two brothers bounce from pillar to post in their hotel suite.

"John's right. Dad left to return to Manhattan. Virgil called and said something was wrong with Alan." Scott read quickly off the note. "Something about a mental breakdown."

Gordon swore softly as he too got up and out of bed before hurriedly dressing. Their dad couldn't possibly have left them without transportation to get home…could he?

"He took the jet didn't he?" Gordon asked, dreading the answer. "Why the hell didn't he wake us up?"

Scott looked at the note and noticed in smaller print that his dad wrote: "_Asked Parker to transport me – it's quicker than the jet. Love you boys and listen to grandma."_

"No, he asked Parker to take him in FAB-1." Slumping down into the bed, Scott stared at the note. "Why didn't he wake us up?"

"Maybe since Alan's in an isolation ward he figured there was no sense in worrying us." John suggested.

"It's an even worse idea to take off in the middle of the night with just a note explaining his disappearance." Scott replied.

"I'm sure dad had his reasons Scott." John reasoned as he could see where their dad might have been coming from by not waking them up.

"I'm sure, but still he could have still woken us up." Scott refuted.

"Why, to worry us by telling us half the story and telling us to stay put? I'm sure even he didn't quite know the full story when he left Scott, give dad a break. Perhaps dad just didn't want us breathing down his neck when he was trying to get to Alan. We all tend to be overbearing when it concerns the safety of Alan and maybe dad felt overwhelmed that something was going wrong." John stated as he defended their father's actions. Sure he was hurt and felt like their dad didn't trust them, but then their dad would practically go to the ends of the earth for any of his sons and if that included playing fly by night to get Alan to calm down then that was the name of the game.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Jeff woke up with Alan still clinging to his t-shirt as the boy had fallen asleep that way several hours prior. His neck was screaming from the crick but craning his neck to the side – Jeff couldn't help the smile. Alan looked comfortable, looked like he was resting easy – no nightmares. Any neck pain he experienced was well worth it after last night. Slowly run a hand up and down Alan's back Jeff began to feel like he was being watched and he glanced to his right to see Virgil lying in bed awake and staring at the two of them. Virgil lifted a hand from beneath his bed covers to hold a finger in front of his mouth – telling his dad not to talk. The two of them remained content to watch Alan sleep as he snuggled further into his father's arms.

Gingerly, Virgil climbed from his bed – grimacing as he put weight on his legs that would rather not even be in use at the moment. Sitting in his wheelchair and wheeling closer, Virgil whispered to his dad.

"How'd you sleep dad?" Virgil gently rubbed Alan's shoulder and paused when Alan squirmed before settling back down.

"I slept okay…and yourself?" Jeff continued to rub Alan's back up and down – gently so as to not irritate the still healing burns on his back. Jeff didn't like being able to feel Alan's vertebra, but then when Alan was out of the hospital and back home he'd allow Onaha and his mother to fatten Alan up on some rich foods.

"Better once we got Allie calmed down." At that statement both Jeff and Virgil glanced at Alan when the boy sighed in his sleep before rubbing his face into the material of Jeff's shirt and nodding off again.

"Sleep kiddo, you deserve the rest." Jeff moved his hand from Alan's back to the boy's hair and lightly scratched Alan's scalp. Alan gave another sigh in pleasure making Jeff and Virgil smile. Alan's face was relaxed – his eyes were moving slowly beneath his lids, breathing was even and slow and twitching was kept to a minimum.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

"But grandma!" Scott stood before his grandmother with a look of shock on his face.

"No Scott, let your father handle Alan – you and your brothers won't be permitted entrance into the isolation ward as it is. If your father was granted entrance, it was only used to get Alan to calm himself before he caused himself or someone else further harm." Ruth stood before Scott, John and Gordon with her arms crossed. Lady Penelope and Parker stood off to the side watching the verbal tennis match go back and forth. Parker had already told the family what he knew -–which wasn't much because Jeff hadn't a clue at the time just what caused Alan to go into hysterics.

"Can I at least call him?" Scott held his cell phone as he was very much prepared to call his father to ask why he'd just up and left without waking them.

"No, you may not. Your father is probably sleeping. Give it a few hours; he'll call you when he knows what's going on with your brother." Ruth shook her head in exasperation at her eldest grandson – he could be such a worrywart at times.

"Fine." Scott relented, he wasn't happy about it but he'd deal.

"Good, now off with you boys – go play in the pool or something." Ruth shooed them away before returning her attention back to Parker and Lady Penelope. "Anyway…where were we?"

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Virgil sat in his wheelchair, trying to pop a wheelie as his dad conversed with the doctor. Alan awkwardly held his fork and knife as he cut into his waffles.

"Maybe it'd be best for us to just complete this first round of transplantation surgeries and let Alan go a little longer between surgeries so that he may have a therapist come in to treat his PTSD." Dr. Warner suggested lightly.

"No."

All eyes turned to Alan as he took a bite of his waffles. His eyes were closed and everyone could practically see the vein bulging in Alan's forehead.

"Why ever not Alan?" Dr. Warner questioned, truly curious as to his patient's thoughts and reasons.

"I don't want to bounce between this ward and the burn ward. I want to get everything done that needs to be done in order to heal." Alan took another bite of his waffle so that he'd quit talking enough to let that thought sink in for them all.

"I can see where you are coming from Alan. I do…but we also need to keep in mind that your mental health also needs to be seen to and it can't be done from within an isolation ward." Dr. Warner mentioned. "Last night's episode could very well be the first of many to come unless we get someone to come in and do an evaluation."

"Could be…not necessarily will be though right?" Alan set down his fork as he looked his doctor in the eye. "If there isn't a chance of me having another episode then I don't want to see anyone."

"Son, maybe you should at least talk to someone who could give you some ideas for coping in the event that it does happen again." Jeff suggested, trying to remain calm.

"No." Alan closed his eyes – feeling that to do that was the be all end all.

"Allie, you scared the crap out of us all last night. You wouldn't even let me try. Please Alan – will you at least consider it?" Virgil asked, hoping that Alan would at least think about it. "Maybe we could try both…have you talk to someone via your computer."

Alan groaned internally – Virgil just had to go there.

"If you'd like for me to recommend someone – I could talk to the group therapy specialist downstairs and see if she'd be willing to hold private sessions from her office. She has a vid phone and web camera – she could hold conference that way." Dr. Warner suggested.

"Alan?" Jeff looked at Alan with a look that made Alan realize he was fighting a losing battle. Closing his eyes, Alan finally agreed.

"Fine…but I want to make a couple of provisos." Alan folded his arms across his chest.

"Where did you learn the word 'provisos'?" Virgil couldn't recall ever having heard Alan use professional wording before.

"Apparently I spent too much time at dad's office growing up – he did let me play with my building blocks under the table during board meetings." Alan rolled his eyes as if to say '_duh_'.

"Okay Alan…what are your provisos?" Jeff inquired.

"First off, if I do see this therapist…and it doesn't help me – I want no further mention of my seeing a shrink again. I don't want to have anyone pestering me to see someone if I think it doesn't help. It's already embarrassing enough." Alan looked down at his breakfast – no longer feeling hungry. "Second – I don't want any of you going over my head and making decisions for me. It's my future – my body, my mind and I trust you all to not just make decisions willy nilly for me."

Jeff and Virgil nodded in agreement to Alan's rules. They knew Alan was being genuine about his rules and he wished they would abide by it.

"I want your promise that you'll abide by my wishes – please, show me that I am heard in this family. I may be fourteen, but I'm still my own person." Alan sent his father and brother a look of longing. "Please, trust me."

"Okay Alan." Jeff nodded as he voiced his agreement.

"Thanks dad." Alan finally smiled at his dad. It was small, but it was still a smile.

"No problem Alan." Jeff squeezed Alan's neck in assurance. "So will you give it a try Alan?"

"Fine. Send in the shrink." Alan held his hands up in an _'I give up_' gesture.

"Okay, when we're through here – I'll talk to the group therapist and see if she can squeeze you in Alan. If she's not able to, I'm sure she can recommend someone." Dr. Warner wrote a note to himself.

"Great…" Alan muttered under his breath.

"When you're done with your breakfast Alan, I will need to ask that your dad and brother step outside o that I can change your dressings on your feet." Dr. Warner gestured at the materials he'd brought in when he'd entered the room.

"I'm finished." Alan gazed at his half-eaten breakfast. No longer feeling hungry since he felt like he'd been backed into a corner like a caged animal.

"Alright, well – I suppose I'd best be getting your brother back to his room too." Jeff felt kind of awkward not having to deal with a shouting match with his youngest son. Usually Alan and his temper would have flared by now leaving nothing but raised blood pressures and headaches for Jeff but Alan seemed unusually subdued. Moving almost like stop animation, Jeff leaned back up to Alan's head and pressed a kiss to Alan's forehead before hugging his young son. Alan gave a half-hearted response but that was it. Pulling away, Jeff in a last ditch effort to get something resembling his young son's spit fire attitude to show itself, he tousled Alan's hair and got the reaction he was looking for. Alan jerked his head away and he sent a pointed glare which lacked any heat at his father before smirking.

"Bye dad…thanks." Alan gave his dad a weak smile as his dad grabbed Virgil's wheelchair handles and left.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Stopping in the hall Jeff couldn't help but to look back towards Alan's hospital room as he shook his head. This just felt weird. Having to make a flying trip back to Manhattan to make sure his son wasn't put on anti-psychotics, spending the night with his youngest and middle sons in Alan's hospital room, sitting up and having a decent conversation with Alan and Virgil together without having to referee any sibling bantering and then Alan agreeing to see a therapist privately to get a handle on his PTSD. It just felt plain weird.

"Today feel off to you too dad?" Virgil sounded off to his dad too, his voice sounding strangely detached.

"Yeah, how'd you guess?" Jeff kept his eyes trained on Alan's hospital room, wanting more than anything to be in there with his son and to not leave his son alone while he was getting treatment for his surgery and burns.

"I can hear you thinking dad." Virgil replied. "You know it surprises me that the hospital put me and Alan next door to each other."

"Huh?" Jeff shook himself from his thoughts and concentrated back on Virgil.

"Room 465…that's my room. Alan is in 466. I was just saying I was surprised that Alan and I were placed as each other's neighbors." Virgil gestured for his hospital room.

"Oh, yeah…maybe they did that on purpose Virge." Jeff replied unnecessarily.

"I kind of figured that dad. I mean two brothers – might as well place them next to each other, it'd be easier to keep track of us…wouldn't you say so dad?" Virgil quirked an eyebrow in question.

"Yeah…" Jeff resumed his distracted thoughts, wishing more than anything that he could see his boys longer…seeing Alan last night, despite his psychosis had been a nice change of pace – after not being able to see Alan for the past week and a half. It was harder for him to not be able to see his son when they were in relative close proximity to each other and yet couldn't see each other. "Well, let's get you back to your room Virgil, I'd best be getting on to the hotel and give your grandmother and brothers a call. They'll have my head as it is."

"Okay dad. You head on." Virgil hugged his dad firmly, glad that his dad had come out the night prior when he and Alan had been in such distress. It just proved how much their dad loved the both of them – and all of his sons.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Alan lay in his bed, watching as Dr. Warner lightly dabbed at his feet with a betadine doused gauze pad. Hissing at the cold more than the sting of the medicine – Alan watched the doctor as he inspected the surgical sight.

"Well, they are looking really good Alan." Dr. Warner looked really close at Alan's feet as he gently prodded Alan's feet. Even with his trained eye, he could barely see the point of sutures where the new skin had been placed. And he'd done the sutures himself. "Really good in fact. Looks like the blood flow is returning as it should, your feet look healthy for the most part."

"Except for my skin looking grey in places." Alan replied, not believing the doctor for what he was saying.

"It only looks grey because that is the damaged tissue beneath which has yet to regain blood flow. It'll happen Alan, it's only been two days we need to give it time." Dr. Warner got some antibiotic cream and started to apply it to Alan's feet. Dr. Warner gently clamped a hand onto Alan's foot when he kept pulling it away with a grimace. "Hold still Alan."

"I can't it feels weird." Alan pulled back again and both he and Dr. Warner paused as their gazes locked onto each other's. "I thought you said…"

"I did, but it has been known to happen. Do you?" Dr. Warner began to ask when Alan cut him off.

"A little bit, but it feels like ant bites." Alan kept his gaze locked onto Dr. Warner's eyes. "That…that feels like ant bites."

Dr. Warner paused where he'd had his hand on the sole of Alan's foot. He'd been palpating the bottoms of Alan's feet with the tips of his fingers. He'd purposely hid Alan's foot beneath his blanket so Alan couldn't tell when the doctor would be touching his foot.

"Remarkable." Dr. Warner glanced at Alan's other foot which he hadn't even started on yet. He wondered if the results would be the same for Alan's other foot or if this'd been a fluke.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Alan asked with a hint of apprehension and excitement. He hoped he'd be able to feel even a touch of sensation like with his left foot. It'd make feeling lonely worth it. "Please, just do it."

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Fermat lay in his bed listening to his physical therapist who had come in with Dr. Andreessen's blessings – entirely decked out like his father was in medical scrubs and surgical masks. The therapist was instructing his father how to help Fermat flex his foot so they could check the strength of his calf muscle after the two surgeries he'd had to repair it.

That falling beam had really done a number on Fermat's calf muscle. It'd torn not just the gastrocnemius but it'd also torn the soleus. Those two muscles alone made up the calf alone, so for the both of them to have been torn would significantly impair Fermat – had it not been for the immediate surgery to repair what could be repaired. Thus the reason for Fermat's physical therapist coaching his dad on how to assist Fermat with flexing his leg.

"Damn t-that hurts…" Fermat groaned between his clenched teeth.

"Language F-Fermat." Brains chided as he held Fermat's heel in his hands while pushing on the ball of Fermat's foot – forcing Fermat to bend his leg, stretching the muscle to make sure it didn't stiffen and lock up.

"S-Sorry dad." Fermat bit his tongue so as to not cuss again. It's just that it really, really hurt. It felt like the equivalent of a Charlie horse ten times over. Moaning, Fermat reached down and physically removed his foot from his father's grasp – he didn't want to be touched at the moment. Blinking back the tears, Fermat tried to focus on something other than his own pain. He wondered how Alan was doing today, sure they'd talked practically all day yesterday – but he missed his friend.

He missed being able to talk to him whenever he felt like it, missed seeing Alan daily, missed sharing meals with him, miss everything about Alan. He knew Alan would be back, but it couldn't come soon enough and for Fermat – talking on the computer just wasn't the same. How he wished the two months could feel like possibly two hours so that he could see his best friend again. He really missed Alan. The older boy usually distracted Fermat during his therapy sessions – keeping the younger boy's mind away from the pain.

"You're doing a good job Fermat. Here soon, I'd like to try to have you start practicing step ups." The therapist said as he gently massaged Fermat's calf when the muscles visibly tightened up – making Fermat cry out as he threw his head back into his pillow. "I think that's enough for today."

Fermat's therapist pulled the blankets back over Fermat's legs before he stood up from where he'd been sitting on the opposite side of Fermat's bed. "So I'll see you in two days' time then. Hope you have a good day Fermat." The therapist left the room, leaving Fermat and his dad alone together. Fermat curled into a ball the moment the therapist left the room.

"Are y-you okay Fermat?" Brains asked, rightfully worried about his son.

"Y-Yeah, I'm just tired." Fermat replied as he curled into a tighter ball – he wanted to be left alone right now, but he didn't have the heart to say anything to his father. He hoped maybe his dad would have something to do aside from sit there with him all day when all Fermat wanted was to be left alone.

His father's cell phone rang – saved by the bell – and Brains answered it swiftly.

"T-This is Brains." Hiram answered the phone – without looking at the caller id. He listened on the phone for a few minutes before standing up. "W-What are you d-doing back so s-soon Jeff?"

Fermat perked up at that and lifted his head to look at his father using his periphery.

"I see. H-How's he doing?" Brains asked, as he moved across the room. "I'm v-visiting Fermat right n-now. Do you n-need a ride back t-to the hotel?"

Fermat remained lying on his side, back facing his dad but he continued to try listening to his father's side of the conversation. He was trying to glean who the he could be. Alan and Virgil both were in the hospital so it had to be one of them. Of course with know Alan as long as he had – he'd bet that whatever happened – had happened to Alan. That was just his luck, attracting trouble like a magnet.

"Sure, I'll m-meet you down in the l-lobby. See you in f-five." Brains hung up his cell phone before turning back to Fermat. The boy looked at his dad – his eyes magnified by the glass of his glasses. "Son, t-that was Alan's d-dad. Looks like I'll b-be taking my leave f-for now."

"What h-happened dad?" Fermat questioned.

"I don't k-know son. Jeff didn't s-say what happened. A-All he said was t-that he returned l-last night and was c-calling to catch a r-ride back to the m-motel with me." Brains said softly not liking that he was lying to his son about what really happened. But it's just Fermat didn't need to know right away what happened to Alan, he figured he could tell Fermat later after talking to Jeff to gather the full details Either that or Fermat could talk to Alan and find out what happened.

"Okay." Fermat slouched in his bed and turned his back to his father once more.

"Have a g-good rest of your d-day son." Brains stepped forward before lightly kissing Fermat's forehead. "I love you."

"I love you too dad." Fermat replied softly, before closing his eyes, feigning sleep to his father.


	5. Photo Booth Memories in the Making

Josh sat on the couch in the foyer of the private clinic looking around self-consciously as he chewed his lip. As much as he didn't want to be there, he knew he needed to see Ms. Walker – he was in desperate need of a peaceful night's sleep and he couldn't get that with his nightmares plaguing his dreams. So when Ms. Walker exited her office – escorting someone who looked relieved of whatever burden they'd released – Josh figured maybe seeing a professional wouldn't be too terribly bad.

"Have a good afternoon sir. See you next week." Ms. Walker opened the front door of her home

"Thank you Connie. You have a good rest of your week too." The man cupped Connie's hand in his and smiled appreciatively at the middle aged woman. Josh tried not to watch the interaction – but to see someone who looked genuinely relieved made Josh want that. He needed the peace of mind that he wasn't going crazy.

"And you do the same." Connie waved the gentleman away and when he left her private office, she closed the door softly before turning to Josh. "What is your name?"

"Josh. My mother called earlier this morning." Josh gulped as he felt his nerves acting up. He knew there was nothing to worry over, but for the life of him he just couldn't seem to calm down.

"Ah yes." Connie moved to the door of her inner office. "Do come in and make yourself comfortable."

Josh nodded before he stood and entered Connie's main office.

"Would you like tea, coffee, water?" Connie inquired as she tidied up her desk.

"Tea please." Josh answered, not really wanting tea but getting some in case he needed a drink at all during this session.

Sitting on the couch, Josh wondered whether he was supposed to lie back or do anything that they did in the movies and decided he didn't really want to lie down. He certainly felt tired enough and he didn't want to take a chance of falling asleep during his therapy session. When Connie came back in the room she returned holding a coffee mug with a tea bag in hand for Josh. He accepted the mug of water and tea bag before plunking the tea bag in the hot water.

"So, your mother tells me that you seem troubled, is that right?" Connie picked up a note pad and pen before crossing her legs and resting the notepad on top of her knee. "Please go ahead and start whenever and make yourself comfortable as you see fit."

Josh adjusted on the couch, finding a comfortable position and settling there. Looking down into his tea mug, Josh summoned the courage to speak.

"I'm having nightmares of the fire that happened about four months ago still. It's been making it hard for me to get any sleep." Josh set his mug on the coffee table and reclined in his seat. "Every time I close my eyes I am back at the fire and I can usually feel the heat of the flame as my roommate and I jumped from our bedroom window to escape from the fire."

"I see, so you were victim of the fire also?" Connie inquired softly.

Josh nodded solemnly. "My roommate and I tried to exit out the front door of our room, but the flames pushed us back. We didn't think we'd escape but we decided to jump out the window when my roommate Eddy smashed the glass with his baseball bat."

"How far would you estimate you fell?" Connie asked, trying to get any information she could from Josh.

"Well, the fourth floor is over ten feet and we were on the third floor so probably nine feet." Josh paused as he tried to recall how far he'd fallen. "I broke my wrist and my roommate busted his ankle."

"How did you feel after escaping the fire?" Connie intoned, as she made notes of her session with Josh.

"Numb…I don't really remember how I felt after getting out of the fire. Scared I guess." Josh tried to sort out how he'd felt after the fire.

"What about after you were taken to the hospital to have your injuries treated?" Connie asked as she tried to help her patient any way she could to come to terms with the fire.

"When I was taken to the hospital…I don't really remember. I recall seeing my mom and dad, they held my hand and kept telling me I was going to be okay, but I don't really remember how I felt." Josh said as he shook his head – at a loss for his memories.

"How about how your parents reacted? Do you remember their reactions?" Connie coaxed.

"My mom was crying and my dad kept telling me that I was safe. I don't think I've ever seen them that pale before." Josh recalled the night of the fire and waking up to being squished between his mother and father who were clutching tightly at him as if he'd disappear. "My dad kept placing an oxygen mask back over my mouth when I would knock it off."

"Probably for smoke inhalation." Connie provided.

"I could breathe just fine, I was more concerned for my brothers." Josh admitted as he lifted his mug of tea too his mouth to take a sip.

"So you have siblings that attended Wharton with you?" Connie questioned.

"No, they are actually my friends, really, really close friends in fact and we call ourselves brothers." Josh swallowed. "I can only recall hearing the low whine of the Thunderbird's airships coming down to land after my friends and I were evacuated from the building. After that everything is kind of a blur."

"That's okay. Just tell me what you remember and everything may come back to you gradually." Connie said as she gestured for Josh to continue on.

"Well, starting back where I left off, a couple firefighters carried me and Eddy - my roommate - from the building after we jumped out the window. Neither of us seemed really aware of our surroundings – I guess we were in shock." Josh's eyes seemed to glaze over as he continued recounting his memories of the night of the fire for Connie while she made note of all he could tell her.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Jeff stood at the private airstrip as he waited for Tracy One to land. No matter what his mother did, she could do nothing to stop John, Scott and Gordon from returning from California – cutting their little birthday surprise extravaganza for Gordon to a screeching halt. Bundled in his winter jacket and patting his pockets lightly as he listened to the coins jingle softly, Jeff watched as he noticed Tracy One coming in to land. When it came to a stop, Jeff watched as his sons piled out of the jet – John being the more helpful son and assisting his grandmother down the steps before they all flocked around Jeff.

"How is he?" Scott asked tightly, still feeling put out with his father for having just up and left them in the middle of the night.

"He's better Scott, don't worry. We got his panic under control." Jeff tried to smooth the waters but Scott seemed to be having none of that.

"What happened?" Scott gazed hard at his father as Jeff would normally do in the middle of a business meeting where he was trying to persuade the opposition to go with his side of things.

"Alan experienced his first PTSD episode is all…he was reading the newspaper online and he stumbled across a web article with pictures of the fire. The pictures of the fire set him off and he was overwhelmed by the memories that he'd forgotten." Jeff said as he spoke softly, looking between each of his sons. "He's agreed to see a therapist by web and before I came down here to retrieve you all – Dr. Warner informed me that the group therapy counselor was more than happy to hold council with Alan by web."

"When does he start?" John asked as his grandmother patted his arm.

"Tomorrow…Dr. Warner explained Alan's situation to the counselor and she's apparently concluded that it'd be best to nip this in the bud before Alan suffers a reoccurrence." Jeff shrugged. "Alan wasn't happy about it, but he's agreed to talk to the therapist as long as we don't pressure him or interfere. As he's said, though I can't say I agree – he's a big boy and can make decisions for himself."

"Jeff, you're a big boy as are all your sons and even I don't feel they are ready to make certain decision…that's what being a parent is about. Trust me, Alan is old enough to make decisions regarding his treatment – he'll let you and all of us know if he doesn't want that responsibility any longer. And if he does that, we'll all gladly step in and give him a helping hand." Ruth stepped forward, hugging Jeff when he'd enveloped his mother in a hug. "It's all gonna be okay son. He's a Tracy."

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

"That hurts!" Alan hissed as Karen applied some medicine on the bald spots where Alan had literally ripped chunks of hair from his head. Clutching at his blanket, Alan tried to breathe through the pain.

"Sorry honey, but we want that hair to grow back don't we?" Karen asked as she gently rubbed the medicine into the raw spot. "It'll quit burning in a few minutes."

"Jeez this hurts…" Alan moaned as Karen switched sides to apply the medicine to the other bald spot. "How long will we need to do this Karen?"

"Only until the hair begins to grow back. It'll be maybe three weeks then you'll just notice the hair is downy bird fluff." Karen said as she continued applying the medicine. When she'd finished, she removed the spare gloves she'd put on and gathered her supplies. "I'm going to head on out dear. Is there anything you want me to get for you?"

"No, I'll be fine. Thanks though Karen." Alan gave his and Virgil's nurse a smile that said '_I'm okay_' while Karen could see in Alan's eyes the pleading of '_Don't leave me_'. Slowly Karen nodded before she left the room, carting her supplies with her. When she left Alan sighed quietly to himself. He wasn't fine…not really. He was scared. He had no memory of his episode the night before, he just remembered looking at the pictures on the internet of the Wharton fire and suddenly the room became really small, hot and it hurt to breathe. He felt dizzy and nauseous and feared that he'd throw up and then the next thing he remembered he was waking up in his father's arms and both his dad and older brother were sound asleep.

Feeling a sense of insecurity, Alan grabbed his laptop and decided to contact one of the few people that was able to ground him in reality aside from John, Fermat and Jem. He glanced at the clock and frowned. She was likely to be asleep right now. Praying quietly to himself Alan gazed heavenward before he contacted Virgil instead. He couldn't awaken Tin-Tin, no matter how many times she told him and Fermat to call at any time.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Virgil idly flipped through the television channels as he tried to find something remotely interesting. Everything was all Valentine's Day reruns and to be honest, Virgil wasn't in much of a lovey dovey mood at present. He hadn't had a girlfriend since he'd left college and to be honest he was having the time of his life working for International Rescue as a single guy. He could do without girls right now. He was just about ready to shut off the tv and try to take a nap when his laptop chimed at him.

Tossing the remote onto the bed beside him, Virgil grabbed his over bed table and opened his laptop so he could see who was calling. He however wasn't expecting Alan to be calling. Accepting the video call, Virgil settled back into his pillows.

"Hey kiddo, how are you doing?" Virgil smiled at his little brother. However like last time, his smile fell away to a frown as he looked at Alan's desperate face. "What's wrong kiddo?"

"Please just talk to me, sing, do something…" Alan's voice trembled in time with his visible shaking and Virgil just started talking about the little intricate details of Thunderbird Two, without openly addressing it as such. He could see that Alan was feeling insecure, from what Virgil didn't know but he knew Alan got like this sometimes – even before the fire landed him and Fermat in the hospital.

"Al, what's wrong?" Virgil paused in telling Alan about all the plans he had for Thunderbird Two to ask his youngest brother what was on his mind, why he was so skittish at present.

"I don't want to be alone Virge." Alan admitted, not caring that he was going against his rules. He was scared and lonely damn it and he was entitled to a couple childish fears.

"Al, I can't come back over…you know that. Last night was just a fluke." Virgil said knowing that Alan was hoping Virgil could come to keep him company. "Your immunity is low right now Alan…so is mine. If I come back over you or I could very well catch something that would be detrimental to our health. Even the sniffles could land either of us in the ICU. We can't risk it little brother.

"Then what am I supposed to do? I can't handle this Virgil!" Alan looked at Virgil with the puppy pout and Virgil closed his eyes as he tried to resist the puppy pout. Alan always was good at using the puppy pout to get what he wanted.

"Just stay on the line with me. I could use the company. There's nothing on the TV and I'm bored." Virgil suggested as an out for Alan to no longer be alone.

"So did you just want to talk or…?" Alan asked, finally seeing the point in what Virgil was saying.

"Actually, I was thinking of asking dad if I could get a set of drums. What do you think?" Virgil asked, knowing he actually wouldn't be the one using them. Alan was constantly drumming his fingers or a pencil on the table when he was home and Virgil had watched as Alan had managed to create a rhythm all his own and Virgil had put piano music to it and it seemed to work. "Create the Tracy brothers band, what do you say?"

"You're not good at drumming, why would you want drums?" Alan asked with a question.

"Ah, I've been practicing…with pens and pencils mind you but I think I'm getting better." Virgil said with a smile.

"Prove it." Alan asked, wanting to see if Virgil was correct.

"Fine." Virgil picked up a couple pencils from his art kit and moved the computer back a little on the table so he'd have room to maneuver. "Here go's."

Virgil started slowly but picked up a beat and he could see Alan bobbing his head and was glad he was able to distract his little brother a little bit. Like expected, Alan had begun drumming his finger tips on the table where his laptop sat and Virgil knew it'd be a good idea to get something more that could entice Alan's artistic side also. Alan could play the piano also, but he didn't like it as much as Virgil and while he could also play the guitar somewhat it never really seemed to interest Alan…drumming was just something Alan had always done and Virgil wondered if getting a drum set for Alan to play with when he was back home would be something worthwhile. The kid had been able to demonstrate the ability to rap once, Virgil was shocked and Gordon had laughed at what Alan was rapping about but none of their other brothers could speak nearly as fast as Alan could and that took skill. Apparently either Alan just had a lot of time on his hands when he was away at school or he had a natural talent to find the beat in anything and go with it.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Gordon sat on his bed in the hotel room, looking around sadly. Scott just told him that they'd planned on returning home for a few days, but now those plans had been nixed. None of the boys wanted to leave again for fear that Alan might need them like he'd needed their dad the night before Gordon wouldn't lie, he missed home. He missed the sun, the warmth, having his bed to himself, he missed his pool, Onaha's cooking, Onaha, Kyrano and Tin-Tin…he even missed the smell of the ocean, but most of all he missed Alan. Virgil would be able to come out of the hospital here in the next week and a half, but that just couldn't be soon enough for Gordon.

The redhead contemplated contacting Alan via computer, but he feared disturbing Alan. The kid would need his rest and he couldn't exactly get that if he wasn't sleeping. No, he decided he'd go down for a swim and see if he couldn't distress a little. If he didn't do something constructive he'd go insane. His brothers might beg to differ and say he lost it when he played his first prank, but Gordon had to do something. He was suffering from withdrawals.

Going over to the foot of his bed, he pulled out duffel and began riffling through it when it occurred to him that he was going through Scott's bag. Gordon didn't want to be given a swirly for snooping through his brother's things and he started to sip it closed before his eye caught on Alan's photo album.

Feeling he needed a laugh, Gordon pulled out the book and found a seat next to the window. He opened it to a random page and immediately began laughing. If he'd been drinking something he'd have likely spit it out at the sight of the picture. Alan was quite the character and with the computer that had been destroyed in the fire – Alan was able to create all sort of funny memories. Gordon knew from having participated in it once with Alan that his younger brother and Fermat were doing the photo booth challenge.

_'Alan looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger…oh my God.'_ Gordon covered his mouth to stifle a laugh as he flipped through the pictures of Alan wearing sun glasses and a strong chin. Gordon barked out another laugh at Alan and Fermat doing something called swirl…it made Alan and Fermat have freakishly long fingers."Oh kiddo, we've got to sit down and do that again sometime. I had a blast."

"Talking to yourself in your old age already Gordo?" John asked as he closed the hotel room door.

"Oh shut up." Gordon said good naturedly. "Just making plans for me and Alan is all."

"Uh-oh…should any of us fear for our lives?" John said as he claimed a seat beside Gordon.

"No, not unless you count me and Alan goofing off in front of the computer to be life threatening." Gordon replied as he flipped to the next page. "I wish dad would begin to homeschool Alan…he and I would have so much fun doing this together."

"What?" John looked over Gordon's shoulder to see what his brother was talking about.

"Doing these goofy internet challenges. He's doing the baby food challenge in this photo I'm looking at." Gordon chuckled warmly as he looked at the picture of Alan. His kid brother's eyes were clamped shut as he stuck his tongue out making signature yuck face. Alan was holding up mushed peas in a baby food jar and it was obvious from the look on Alan's face that it tasted terrible.

"From what I recall, baby food does taste terrible." John said as he recalled when Alan was a baby and refused to eat baby food. He'd always preferred a bottle over baby food and John had tried the monkey see monkey do and he'd eaten a bite of Alan's baby food and he thought it tasted disgusting.

"It does…I've tried it at least once and I can understand why babies don't like to eat the stuff. If I ever have any kids, they won't be getting any of the crap…a bit of homemade stuff will be good." Gordon said.

"Right, like you're going to go to the store and buy the ingredients you need to make that stuff for any kids you have…I'll feel bad for the poor kids." John said. "Formula will be just fine in my book."

"Dude, why are we talking about having kids in the future? Shouldn't we have like girlfriends or wives first before we begin talking about that stuff?" Gordon made a face and continued looking through the pictures in the album. "Are you nervous?"

"Hmm? About what?" John said as he looked at his brother questioningly.

"Well, when you get to have your surgery to help Alan out…you hate needles, so aren't you scared or worried?" Gordon asked as he lifted his gaze from the photo album to gaze at John.

"Well, yeah. Kinda." It's not really the needles I'm afraid of though…it's more the fear that Alan's body could refuse the skin donation I make. That Alan could contract Graft VS Host Disease, that Alan will be in worse pain than I could ever imagine being in…who am I kidding? That's why Alan is on the cocktail of pain meds is to manage the pain from the burns." John let his hands hang limply between his knees. "I'm terrified, but not of the needles or the actual surgery…it's just everything."

"Do you think Alan's changed?" Gordon asked timidly. He feared in the beginning that this whole travesty with Alan and Fermat being burned in the fire would change Alan for the worst and now he was really beginning to wonder if Alan would ever be the same again.

"I don't know kid…there are times that I don't think he's changed then there are other times where I look at him and wonder who he is. I think that if Alan begins seeing that therapist tomorrow, hopefully she'll begin to open up a world for Alan so that he can better adjust with himself as the victim rather than the hero." John draped an arm over Gordon's shoulders before looking at the pictures with his younger brother. "God, Alan is going to be having so much fun when he gets back home if we can get him to do some of those internet challenges with us. That looks like fun."

"Oh I know. The two of us did the Mentos and Coca-Cola challenge and we thought we were going to die." Gordon said, smirking playfully. "It was a good thing we were outside or else Onaha would have had our heads."

"Why what happened?" John asked, interested in the result.

"For one Alan had three Mentos in his mouth and the soda's carbonation combined with the fizzy properties of the Mentos caused Alan to spit a fountain of foam out of his mouth. I got a soda shower and it's not exactly the type of thing I want to experience again." Gordon remarked. "Then Alan felt like he wanted to puke the rest of the evening because he swallowed some of the Mentos and Coca-Cola and it was just fizzing the rest of the night. Kid went to bed without dinner because he felt so miserable. He had to deal with a stomach ache and didn't feel better until morning."

"When was this?" John asked whilst hiding a grin, trying to imagine Alan and Gordon doing this…he could easily picture Alan and Gordon doing this. "Where was I with the tub of popcorn for this show?

"Alan was thirteen soon to be fourteen, he came home for Thanksgiving break and we got this wonderful idea to try a couple of internet challenges." Gordon replied. "You actually hadn't come back from Five yet, Scott and Virgil had gone up to retrieve you and dad flew out to retrieve grandma, so he left Alan and I to our own devices."

"I'm surprised he did, knowing you and Alan could easily have pulled a prank on any one of us." John murmured, before understanding dawned in his eyes. "Wait I remember now! I came home with Virge and Scott and Alan seemed a bit peaky. He told grandma and dad that he had a stomach ache and Grandma wanted to give him some type of medicine that has some type of gross name like cod liver oil or something."

"It was something, but Alan wasn't having any of that. He told Grandma that he ate his lunch too fast or no, we told grandma and dad that the both of us pigged out on candy and that Alan ate too much too fast. We both got chewed out, but Alan didn't have to be told twice and he went to bed." Gordon smirked as he recalled the memory, that was not long after he'd been released from the hospital himself and surprisingly their dad had trusted Gordon who had still been using a walker to get around to keep an eye on his little brother…or more like their dad asked Alan to keep an eye on Gordon, to keep him from overexerting himself. "Maybe Allie and I can include you in another internet challenge after Allie gets out of the hospital."

"I'd like that…very much in fact. Being up on five keeps me from you guys so frequently and I'll admit I often miss you guys terribly. I look forward to Alan calling me when he's at school because it's usually just the two of us talking for hours. Sometimes we'll include Fermat, but other times it's just Alan in his room talking to me. Then you, I like that you'll sometimes give me a call just to talk about how your day has been, what pranks you pulled on Virge or Scotty. It makes being away from home easier."

Gordon looked at his older brother with a sympathetic look. Time and again both of his blonde brothers were gone from the house, and often Gordon wondered why. He knew John was the space monitor so he had to be up on Five, but Alan…he could easily have been homeschooled like Gordon had been his sophomore year of high school. It hadn't been that long after they'd moved to the island and Alan actually was still living with their grandma back in Kansas. Gordon had told his dad point blank that he hadn't wanted to be sent to a boarding school and his dad had agreed – begrudgingly. But Gordon had been home schooled his sophomore year and then felt ready to go to a boarding school the following year, that was when Alan returned and he too had been sent to a boarding school.

Neither he nor Alan were permitted to room together then, because of the vast age difference and Gordon feels that was one reason why Alan hates boarding school so much. He wasn't permitted to be in close proximity to his brothers and he hardly ever saw him because of their differing schedules. That and even then Alan was picked on because he was very shy. When Gordon was near Alan came alive, but when he was by himself people could hardly get a word out of him.

"Do you ever regret saying yes to be the main host of Thunderbird Five?" Gordon asked as he looked at his brother – the cogs visibly turning.

"Yeah, there are times I do, but other times I don't. It's lonely, makes me miss you all so very much and sometimes it drives me crazy being able to see you only by vid but then there are times I don't. Like on holidays where I get to come home to see you guys, it makes me value having little brothers and one big brother to welcome me back or birthdays. It makes the occasion all that more special." John said as he leaned his head back against the back of the couch. "Sometimes I feel like the luckiest guy in the world and other times I wonder why me?"

"Do you think that's how Allie feels when he's away at school?" Gordon pondered Alan's feelings, trying to understand his little brother's thoughts without being able to ask him to clarify. "Sometimes like he's the luckiest guy in the world and other times like he wonders why?"

"I don't know Gordo. To understand Alan is sometimes like trying to figure out a complex puzzle, you know a piece goes in one spot but there are so many similar pieces that you wonder which the right one is. Alan can be unpredictable. He can believe something one minute and find it to be garbage the next. That's just Alan. I'm sure he's learned to like boarding school because of the friendships he's made but I know he doesn't like boarding school because he misses his family like I do or more."

"Why does our life have to be so weird John?" Gordon asked as he flipped to the next page of the photo album.

"I don't know, but I don't think I'd trade any of it. All families are dysfunctional and ours is no different. Just because we're the sons of Jeff Tracy, doesn't make us better than the rest or make us more normal. We are who we are." John looked away as he tried to imagine how their lives might be different had life not dealt them such a cruel fate by taking their mother from them at such a crucial age. Alan was still just a baby, barely potty trained fully and still wearing training pants to bed because he still had occasional accidents. Gordon had been just about ready to enter kindergarten and he hadn't yet had his mom walk him to the bus stop and kiss him good bye while she waved the bus off with tears in her eyes. Virgil had been in the third grade and he'd been preparing for his class spelling bee in his age bracket. John himself was in the fifth grade while Scott had been in sixth. Both of them were in sports at their age and they'd both wanted their mother to come to their games and cheer for them from the sidelines. Life hadn't been fair to them, but that was life. Thing were dealt in strange ways for strange reasons. There was no rhyme or reason.


	6. Saving My World

"Okay Alan, wakey wakey dear." Karen prodded as she gently shook Alan's shoulder. "It's time for your dressing change sweetheart."

"Mmm, five mo' min'tes." Alan slurred as he pressed his face into the fluffy pillow.

"No dear, you've got a schedule you need to keep. Come on, up and at em'." Karen helped Alan to sit up in bed. Alan opened one eye just barely a crack and stared around in order to gain his bearings. He was still sleepy, he hadn't slept good the night before. He'd put on his music playlist that John had brought from the cloud and listened to it while he tried to go to sleep. It worked after a bit, but three hours of sleep wouldn't do him much good. He was apprehensive about talking to the shrink and he was nervous about the earlier sensations that he experienced in his feet when Dr. Warner was applying the medicine to them. He hadn't felt anything since and while that bummed Alan out, the doctor had told him not to be disheartened.

"Okay, I'm up." Alan grumbled as he yawned and stretched his neck – listening to the satisfying clicks.

"Good, now I want you to sit up, eat your breakfast, then we'll go get your dressings changed." Karen pushed Alan's tray in front of him and Alan half-heartedly began eating. When he'd finished, another nurse entered the room as well as Dr. Warner and they all maneuvered Alan out of his hospital bed onto a gurney for transport. Karen covered Alan with a sheet before pushing the gurney down the hall.

Alan still couldn't get over it, he hated being the patient, even when he was back home on the infirmary. He'd do whatever it took to escape the infirmary, but he knew he couldn't here. Not only was it because he actually needed the treatment, but because if he snuck away his dad would likely tear the hospital and Manhattan apart looking for him. And his brothers would join in and make even bigger qualms over looking for him. No, Alan though not content to be the patient would rather stay in one place and try to get better so he might be able to do what he wanted in life.

Alan looked around when he entered a large room filled with all sorts of jars. If Alan was being honest, he'd call it the witch's lair because that's what it made him think of. There was a decent sized tub, like what Alan was usually put in when he was given a bath and he'd prefer to call it the cauldron. Alan held his breath when he was again lifted into the air using the sheet he lay on. When he'd been placed on the treatment table, Alan found his hospital gown removed and a sheet draped over him again before he could feel slight pressure as his bandages that were wound around his feet were cut.

"There we go." Karen and Dr. Warner worked together to remove Alan's bandages and when they'd gotten them fully removed, they began to gently clean the old medicine from Alan's feet. Alan found feel them turning his feet this way and that but other than that he couldn't feel much. '_Is this anything like what Gordon felt like after his accident?'_

Alan lay perfectly still until he assumed his feet were bandaged once more because he was then rolled onto his side. Thankful for the sheet, Alan tried not to blush when he felt Karen giving him a sponge bath. He still felt rather embarrassed to be bathed by other people, but he'd rather a female nurse over say his grandmother, father or brothers bathing him. When Gordon helped to bathe him a few weeks ago, Alan wished more than anything to be able to crawl under a rock and hide. He'd been humiliated to have his brother in the same room as him when he was stark naked, but Gordon just shrugged it off. Gordon said he was fine with it – not like Alan had anything he hadn't seen before, but that wasn't the point. Alan felt humiliated because he was his own person and he valued his privacy and being totally naked and being bathed by your older brother was embarrassing. It was different when Alan was two and occasionally was bathed with Gordon, but that had stopped when Gordon started asking to have his own bath time separate from Alan. The last time either brother had actually seen the other completely in the buff was when either of them would go to wake the other up during one of the heat spells on the island – it wasn't uncommon for any of the brothers to sleep au 'natural during the hottest part of the season. They were used to it, but to have an older brother bathe you? That was pushing it for Alan.

"Your burns are looking really good Alan; the ones on your back and stomach are fading." Dr. Warner said as he assisted Karen with turning Alan to his other side. "Dr. Andreessen will be coming by shortly to examine your burns and I do believe he'll be quite pleased."

Alan remained quiet, the blush burning his face. He seriously felt humiliated right now. When this whole hospital stay was over, he was never having another sponge bath as long as he lived. When he was a crotchety old man in a nursing home somewhere, the nurses could just take him out back and hose him down for all he cared. A knock at the door made Alan lift his head slightly before he gave a small wave to Dr. Andreessen.

"Hello Alan." Dr. Andreessen came over and smiled at his patient. "How are you feeling?"

"Embarrassed, humiliated, mortified, ashamed…pick all four and any other synonyms that means embarrassed." Alan replied as he refused to meet Dr. Andreessen's eye.

"Well, maybe I can provide you with some good news; I come with a clean gown for you to wear rather than just that sheet while I inspect your burns and apply the special medicine." Dr. Andreessen produced a hospital gown with little green diamond shapes and he'd unfolded it before helping Alan run his arms through the sleeve holes. When the gown was covering Alan sufficiently, Dr. Andreessen tied a couple of the strings to close the gown. "Isn't that better now?"

Alan nodded silently before following Dr. Andreessen's quiet commands to lie back down on his back. When he was lying back down, Dr. Andreessen began inspecting Alan's legs just above the ankles. Alan craned his neck to look at his legs also and saw Dr. Andreessen make a stumped facial expression.

"What?" Alan asked, afraid to hear what the doctor had to say.

"It looks like a few of the burns on your legs are going to require surgery sooner than others." Dr. Andreessen replied, knowing that the news he was about to reveal was also best told to Alan's father. It was imperative that Alan have the surgery sooner rather than later and it'd appear to be more harrowing than his last surgery. "I'll need to discuss this with your father Alan."

"What is it?" Alan asked, his voice rising in pitch as he became alarmed.

"I'd rather explain this to your father and you together if possible. We can move you to a reverse isolation room within this ward, but you and your father need to hear the news…together." Dr. Andreessen's face was grim as he looked his young patient in the eye.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Jeff sank down on the bed in his and Brain's hotel room, removing his shoes gratefully. Explaining everything to his sons was more difficult than was expected and he didn't wish to do it again. Scott had voiced his displeasure at being left back in California rather than being woken up and going with his dad to return for Alan. Penny and Ruth had thankfully been able to cool Scott's anger and they'd gotten him involved in a little shopping trip to pick up a couple new outfits for the boys just so they had something spring-ish to wear since the days were gradually getting warmer.

"How w-was the flight J-Jeff? Besides n-nerve wracking?" Brain's inquired as he turned from his own laptop which Kyrano and Tin-Tin packaged along with Virgil's laptop. He'd requested it be sent so he could try to make preliminary adjusts to the Thunderbird hangars as well as the house to accommodate Alan and Fermat since they were likely to be in wheelchairs for a while after they were discharged from the hospital. Jeff had already approved the changes be made, so Brian's was making a blueprint.

"It was just that…nerve wracking. Parker couldn't have flown fast enough to get me to the hospital." Jeff's cell phone rang about that time and he started digging in his pockets for the cell phone. "Hello?"

Jeff sat silently before his eyes widened and he'd reached down beside the bed and retrieving his shoes. "Okay, I'll be there in…give me fifteen minutes. I'll be there soon."

"Is everything o-okay Jeff?" Brains asked as he turned once more in his seat to look at his friend rapidly tying his shoes strings and shoving the phone back in his pants pocket.

"No, Dr. Andreessen says he wants to have a word with me and Alan concerning further treatment. He didn't sound like he had good news prepared." Jeff stood and grabbed his jacket. "Could you do me a favor and drop me off at the hospital? I don't want to take the rental in case you want to come down to visit Fermat."

"S-Sure, no problem." Brains saved the work he'd done to the blueprint before closing the lid to his laptop. Standing up Brains grabbed his own shoes before stepping into them and preparing to go. "Are y-you going to l-let the boys know?"

"I'll leave the boys a note, they seemed tired and I'd rather not wake them." Jeff said as he grabbed the notepad and pencil before jotting down a quick note for his sons. Retrieving the spare room key he'd obtained to his son's room he went down to leave the note.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Knocking quietly, Jeff entered his son's room silently – taking care not to awaken his sleeping sons. Or so he thought they were. In fact the two of them were sitting up watching videos on Scott's laptop.

"Hey dad, what going on?" John looked over at his dad, shocked to see him in his coat and shoes. He looked like he was preparing to go somewhere.

"I need to head down to the hospital. Dr. Andreessen wants to meet with me and Alan." Jeff said as he crumbled the note in his hand and tossed it in the trash bin. There was no sense in leaving a note if his two sons who he thought were sleeping were wide awake.

"What's up?" Gordon asked.

"I don't know. All he said was he needed to speak with me regarding Alan's treatment so Brain's is taking me down there." Jeff said softly. "I'll let you know what was said when I know myself."

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Jeff walked into the hospital, removing his jacket slowly as he approached the nurse's station in the burn ward. It felt like a lifetime since he'd been in the hospital, in fact it'd been about three weeks since he himself had been to the burn ward. He and his sons had been downstairs in the surgical wing's waiting room as they waited for news on Alan and Virgil a couple days ago. Dr. Andreessen met him at the front of the desk.

"Good afternoon Jeff." Dr. Andreessen put his hand out to shake Jeff's hand.

"Good afternoon to you also Zach." Jeff greeted, his face stony as he tried not to be too concerned about the news the awaited him. "How are you doing?"

"I'm well Jeff, thank you for asking." Dr. Andreessen replied cordially.

"So what's going on with Alan?" Were the first words out of Jeff's mouth. Dr. Andreessen caught himself, before motioning for Jeff to follow him. The Tracy patriarch followed but he was still without any information and he hoped it was terrible news. Things were finally going right, aside from Alan's psychosis. "Dr. Andreessen?"

"I'd rather tell you and Alan together as you both are going to not be happy with the news I have to deliver." Dr. Andreessen beat around the bush. Jeff felt nervous when he heard that news and now all he wanted was to be with his son. Did Alan know more than him? Had Alan requested to see his dad upon hearing the news? Was it concerning Alan's last surgery? Had the tables been turned and they thought Alan was recovering? Jeff didn't know but man did he want to. He wanted to try to understand what was going on with his son. This not knowing was getting to him.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Alan shifted nervously on his bed as he waited for Dr. Andreessen to return, hopefully with his dad. He'd demanded Dr. Andreessen tell him his discovery, but the doctor had adamantly refused to do so and had declared that Alan's father needed to be present to hear the news. That had made Alan nervous. What was so bad that his doctor would forgo being direct with him in favor of bringing his father in on this? Closing his eyes, Alan tried to calm his fried nerves before opening them again at the sound of the door opening.

"Dad!" Alan called the moment his father came through, dressed in scrubs like he'd been previously. Jeff strode forward and enveloped his youngest in a hug. Alan savored the feeling of being held in his father's sure and steady grasp. They only separated when Dr. Andreessen cleared his throat to gain their attention.

"You'd better have a seat Jeff." Dr. Andreessen said softly before taking a stance by the foot of Alan's bed. Jeff sat on the bed beside Alan, wrapping his arms around him in a protective hold. Alan leaned his head into his father's shoulder, now being thankful for the doctor insisting that his father be present for whatever this delivery of news meant for him. That didn't mean having his father there made it easier on Alan though. Dr. Andreessen looked at father and son and wished not for the first time why things just couldn't go right for Alan and his family for a change. "I am afraid we're going to need to do a different type of surgery on Alan and we'll need to do it soon."

"What type of surgery?" Jeff asked as he looked at his young son and back to the doctor nervously.

"It will be a radical type of surgery, a form of reconstructive surgery on Alan's thigh above the knee." Dr. Andreessen said, not liking that he was being made to deliver this news to this family. It just wasn't right. After all Alan had gone through, why couldn't things go right for a change?

"What's wrong with me?" Alan asked, his voice quavering slightly.

"I'm afraid with the lowered immunity, if we don't get this surgery done right away…you could become incredibly sick and possibly be in danger of losing your life." Dr. Andreessen said and his eyes pinched closed when he watched the blood drain from father and son's faces.

"What?" Jeff asked as he hugged Alan to his chest, smoothing his hair back in what he hoped was a comforting gesture.

"It would appear that Alan has a staph infection. I don't know if it was something Alan touched at any one time since being admitted to the hospital or if he was exposed to the bacteria indirectly during transport – but Alan's flesh is infected around one of the burns and it needs to be treated immediately to prevent the spread of the illness to his endocardium or any of his other burns. If his blood becomes infected it could be fatal considering he has a low immune system at present. Or if the lining around his heart gets infected, it could stop his heart. That and the fact that he's got a couple of burns that appear to be necrotic is…alarming."

"How…" Jeff began, but was quickly cut off by Dr. Andreessen.

"It can usually be contracted because of direct or indirect exposure to the bacteria that causes it. I got to looking a little closer at one of Alan's bed sores and what I thought was a sore, was actually a fluid filled blister. It's called impetigo." Dr. Andreessen said, trying to not overly alarm his patient or patient's father. "Impetigo is contagious, and that's one reason I want to have Alan treated. That way he can't potentially pass off the illness to any of his family and so we won't have to isolate him further in the event of a spread through the hospital."

Alan looked stricken at the news and he looked to his father for comfort. Now he was glad Dr. Andreessen had been insistent on his father returning. Jeff hugged Alan close, trying to comfort his youngest as he absorbed the news. Staph infections could be harmless, but in Alan's case – he was on immunosuppressant medications and it could make Alan sicker. Same as Virgil, with Virgil having been in close proximity to Alan the night prior, who's to say that Virgil hadn't been exposed as well? Jeff very well could have two sons fighting for their lives if they didn't get this under control.

"So what are you going to do?" Jeff asked as he gently rubbed Alan's neck.

"The plan is to take Alan completely off the immunosuppressant medications and give him a bombardment of antibiotics to combat the infection. We want to stop it while it is in its early stages before it can progress to possibly a greater stage or can mutate into something we can't fight." Dr. Andreessen stated, knowing that this necessary treatment would set Alan back in his treatment. Alan would need to stay in this reverse isolation room to prevent Alan from possibly passing the illness off to any of the nurses and Alan would be allowed visitors again, but right now it'd be limited to Jeff only.

"So when do you plan to initiate this?" Jeff asked.

"As soon as possible. We need to flush Alan's system of the immunosuppressant medications, the only set back of that is that Alan's body could potentially refuse the skin donation made by Virgil." Dr. Andreessen said softly.

"But I thought you and Dr. Warner said Alan's body had already accepted the skin donated by Virgil." Jeff said, prompting Alan to speak also.

"Yeah, I thought it was successful." Alan said, his eyes begging Dr. Andreessen that the news he was delivering wasn't true.

"I'm sorry Alan. Your body could still refuse it because the immunosuppressant medication is gone. Your body needs that medication to adjust to the donation and without it; the skin which still carries a bit of Virgil's DNA could cause your body to reject it entirely. You may need to have another surgery to replace it if your body does refuse it." Dr. Andreessen looked apologetic as the words seemed to shatter Alan. He didn't cry but you could see the storm building in his blue eyes. Alan was upset and rightly so.

"Are we done here?" Alan asked, as he turned his face away from his father and Dr. Andreessen's view. His voice broke, and Jeff could feel Alan shaking in his arms like he was trying for all his worth to not lose his cool.

"We can be." Dr. Andreessen said, knowing Alan needed to collect himself and he couldn't do that with an audience present.

"Dad can you stay here?" Alan whispered brokenly. He wanted his dad with him right now. He didn't know how much more he could take of everything going wrong for him. It wasn't fair! Why was it always him? "Please?"

"Yes, I'll stay." Jeff replied equally as softly as Alan's question. He couldn't leave his son, not when it seemed like the carpet had just been ripped from beneath his feet. Dr. Andreessen left the room, leaving Alan and Jeff alone together.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Jeff crossed his ankles on the bed as he leaned back into the headboard. Alan was lying listlessly in his arms, his head resting on his father's chest. Jeff could hear the occasional sniffles telling him that Alan was trying not to cry and his son's shoulders would jerk occasionally telling Jeff that Alan probably was crying, but doing so quietly.

"Why me dad? What did I do to deserve this?" Alan asked quickly following another sniffle.

"You didn't do anything Alan…fate is just a cruel mistress." Jeff replied as he gently rubbed Alan's neck.

"I want to go home, I don't want to be here anymore." Alan said brokenly, his voice wavering dangerously.

"I know you do, I do too. But we've got to sit this out and make sure you are healed." Jeff said comfortingly.

"At the rate things are going, I doubt that I'll be walking out of here." Alan's voice cracked and Jeff looked at Alan just as the flow of tears began cascading down his face. "I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for son?" Jeff asked as he sat up in order to hold Alan closer. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"I'm keeping you away from your work and IR…the world is suffering because of me." Alan buried his face in his father's shoulders.

"Alan, I am here because I am your father and I love you. To hell with saving the world or manufacturing bigger, better products for Tracy Enterprises. You are my world and I will stop at nothing to save this world that matters most to me." Jeff rested his cheek against Alan's mop of blonde hair, listening as his son poured out his sorrows into his shoulder. Alan deserved to go home, but he needed to get the surgeries done and out of the way before they could even think of doing that. "Everything will be fine Alan, I promise it will be."

"Don't make a promise that you don't think you can keep dad." Alan murmured from his hiding place in his dad's shoulder.

"I will make a promise, because I believe you will get out of here and I think you will be better. Don't give up before you've even started son." Jeff rocked Alan gently.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Josh sat up and stretched, talking to that therapist had been like letting a weight off of his shoulders. She'd suggested things for him to do to not have nightmares and he'd taken her advice to heart and man did he feel refreshed. Glancing at the clock, he was shocked to see that he'd been asleep for the last eleven hours. Throwing back his covers, Josh padded downstairs for breakfast. For a change of pace he was up when his dad was up for work at six in the morning. Usually he'd have to go to school at 7:30 so he was actually early.

"Hey buddy, what are you doing up? Did you have another nightmare?" Josh's father asked as he was sat at the breakfast table drinking his coffee before going in to work.

"No, I just woke up." Josh said as he went to fix himself a bowl of cereal.

"Why don't you go back to bed and get more rest? Your mom and I are fine if you miss another day of school." Josh's father said lightly.

"No, I feel rested enough to go to school today. I must have seriously needed the sleep." Josh rubbed tiredly at his eyes, but he was no longer as tired as he'd been. He actually felt human again. Amazing what a few hours of sleep can do for you.

"Okay, well if you're sure son." Josh's dad said as he took a sip from his coffee. "So I take it the talk with the therapist helped?"

"Oh yeah, and she didn't make me feel like I was going crazy like they make you think happens from the movies. She didn't pull any of that 'and how does that make you feel' stuff. It was nice." Josh said as he sat at the table with his father, digging in to his breakfast.

"So how did you sleep?" Josh's dad asked as he looked seriously at his son.

"I feel fine. I'm still kind of sleepy, but not nearly as much as I've been feeling recently." Josh chewed his cereal slowly as he conversed with his dad.

"That's great. Do you plan on going back?" Josh's dad asked lightly knowing his son hated looking weak to the people he loved.

"Yeah, Connie was great. She was able to help me better understand the nightmares and she gave me some tips for preparing for sleep and stay asleep. Did you know reading a lighthearted book is a good way to make your mind focus on other things?" Josh asked as he wondered what his dad would think of his topic of choice.

"Connie?" His dad asked as he looked at his son seriously again.

"Yeah, she asks that her patients call her Connie. She says it helps everyone feel comfortable with her. I'll admit it does. Not at all like calling her Doctor."

"Oh I've no doubt." Josh's dad said as he stood to go to work. He walked past Josh and tousled his hair affectionately before going to get his briefcase. "See you later tonight son."

"Later dad." Josh finished his own breakfast and sauntered out of the kitchen to go see if he could do some homework during the spare time before going to school.

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Jeff returned to the hotel a few hours later, feeling for the entire world like Atlas carrying the weight of the world on his back. He returned to his room and sank wearily once more back onto the bed, wondering if it'd be wise to remove his shoes for the second time that day. It hadn't seemed to be wise earlier when he'd removed them because he just had to put them back on to go to the hospital. A knock at his door answered Jeff's question and he stood to open the door and sagged when he saw three of his five sons. Stepping to the side, Jeff let Scott, John and Gordon file into the room before going to go sit on the bed.

"So? What did the doc have to say dad?" Gordon asked, anticipating there to be bad news.

"Yeah, what'd he say?" Scott asked, wanting to hear any news he hadn't been told about.

"I saw you from the foyer and we all wanted to know what was going on with Al." John volunteered as he raised a hand meekly letting his father know that he was the culprit for him and his brothers flocking to his father.

"Have a seat boys." Jeff moved to face the sitting area in the room and he'd sat down himself to explain everything the doctor had told him and Alan. Scott, John and Gordon sat like little boys that were told to sit in the corner during a time out. Their faces appeared to be stretched thin in exhaustion and gloom. Some things…have been changed and it would appear that Alan's stay in the hospital has been lengthened for an undisclosed amount of time."

"What's happening to him dad?" Scott asked, his face taut with concern.

"Your brother…Dr. Andreessen informed me and your brother that he's got a staph infection. Apparently he has what the doctor thought were bedsores and as it turns out they are something called impetigo. It can be contagious and because it's such a serious staph infection…the doctor has come to the conclusion that Alan needs to be taken off the immunosuppressant medications and kept isolated while the infection was treated with antibiotics." Jeff said and he'd looked at each of his present sons and saw their faces fall. Life just couldn't be fair to them…could it?"

"So how far is this going to set back Alan's treatment?" John asked, relieved that he wouldn't be having the surgery next for some time, but upset that it was because his little brother had contracted an infection which could be dire.

"I don't know. Alan's got to have a different surgery here shortly also. Apparently one of his burns is necrotizing as the doctor put it and the flesh that is necrotizing needs to be removed." Jeff repeated his conversation with the doctor after having left Alan's room.

"What does necrotizing mean?" Scott asked, hoping it didn't mean what he was thinking.

"Think about it Scott, necrotizing and necrotic is the same thing. It means the skin around the burn is dying." Gordon responded. He'd enjoyed studying Greek when he was in high school, it allowed him and Alan to have their own secret language because the only other person who understood what they were saying was in space most of the time. He knew that necro in Greek meant to die or the act of killing. Therefore necrotizing or necrotic meant that something was dying and usually if in reference to a person, something within or part of their body was dying when mentioned in conjunction with necrotizing or necrotic.

"So what does that mean for Alan if his skin around the burn is necrotizing?" Scott asked as he looked at his dad and Gordon, the younger redhead obviously knew something of what their dad was talking about.

"It means that the skin needs to be removed or it could spread." Jeff said. "Alan's got to have surgery to debride the area of the necrotizing flesh."

"Spread?" Scott asked, with mild alarm

"Yes, the necrotizing flesh can spread. It's just like what happens if you leave a type of food out on the counter when it needs to be refrigerated. Part of it spoils first and gradually spreads through the entire entrée." Gordon said as he used the best analogy he could think of.

"Do you always have to think about food?" Scott turned to his younger brother, a smirk playing on his face as he asked the question.

"What?" I'm hungry and it's not lunch time yet!" Gordon rubbed his stomach pitifully. Trust Gordon to raise everybody's spirits with a bit of humor however minor it was.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: So I wanted to apologize for not posting on this story for quite some time. I've been struggling with my algebra grade and I am desperately trying to pass it so I put off writing for this story. I know I've been posting other stories, like short oneshots but those were kind of in the moment stories that spent no time at all to write. That and I've kind of been conducting a test. Apparently FF doesn't acknowledge that I am even posting these updates or news stories because they aren't showing up in the updated or new stories...at all. I've done searches for them and can only find them if I go to my own profile.**_

_**Please if anyone can, let me know if you've even been getting the emails or notifications that my work is being uploaded. I get them, but sometimes they are delayed. However, I have no way of knowing whether you are or aren't unless you say something. It's seriously not much fun writing without the critiques and I'll find a way to email FF to ask what is going on and why my work is not showing up.**_

_**You guys are awesome and again, I apologize for my absence on this story.**_

_**~Angel~**_


	7. Just a Dream

Alan lay in his bed listlessly. Due to the move and change in plans, Alan's appointment with the shrink had been moved up a little later in the afternoon. He was not at all happy to hear the news that had been bestowed upon him, but it's not like there was much he could do now to fix it. He himself had no idea how it was that he'd contracted a staph infection, but life could be cruel when it wanted to be and boy did it want to be. Hadn't he suffered enough?

It was a little after four in the afternoon when Alan's laptop chimed. He spared a glance at the laptop and contemplated whether or not to open it or not. Deciding to humor who it was contacting him, Alan reached over and grabbed the over bed table and pulled it over his lap to activate his laptop. He however wasn't expecting Josh's face to come on the screen. Glancing at the clock above the door, it occurred to Alan that Josh would just be getting done with school for the day.

_ "Hey Mayhem, how're you doing?"_ Josh asked hopefully.

"I'm okay." Alan replied, not bothering to hide his displeasure from his friend. He and the guys, none of them hid anything from each other – unless you counted Alan hiding the worst of the bullying to protect his friends.

"_What's going on?"_ Josh seemingly was able to sense his friend's unhappiness and he'd wanted to understand the source of his friend's discontent.

"I contracted a staph infection, I've been taken off the medications that are supposed to help my body adjust to my brother's skin donation because they have the potential to make me sick if they don't get this infection under control. I'd rather not have my brother's skin donation be rejected because life is being unfair to me." Alan groused, he saw the sad smile on his friend's face. "How about you? You look human for a change."

_"Yeah, my mom was able to get me in to talk to my aunt's therapist and she was able to offer ideas to me to get a grip on my nightmares. I think I slept a good eleven hours and was able to go to school and concentrate. I'm sure my teachers were surprised that I actually understood the material."_ Josh changed the subject, sensing Alan didn't want to talk about his situation.

"I'm supposed to see the resident shrink later today. I don't want to though." Alan didn't dare mention his apparent psychotic break the other day. He didn't want his friend to see him as a crazy loon and abandon him.

_"You know, I had the same mindset. I mean, you know me…I hate the whole let's sit in a friendship circle and do each other's toenails while we talk about our feelings thing. It's just not…me. But that wasn't what I was expecting. Connie, I guess you could consider her my therapist now…she let me sit wherever I wanted and didn't make me feel like I was being scrutinized. I felt…normal…you know what I mean?"_ Josh replied, his face turning thoughtful. _"It felt like the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders and it felt great. Connie was able to bring it all in to perspective for me and she didn't make me feel like I was crazy. I felt comfortable, like I do when I'm with you and the guys."_

"Nice." Alan couldn't help but to smile at hearing his friend discuss how much help a shrink had been for him. "I hope my therapist that I've agreed to see is like that. It'd be nice not to feel like I'm under a microscope."

"_Trust me Mayhem, shrinks are not at all like they are in the movies. Connie, she seemed to genuinely care when I told her how difficult a time I was having with getting over the fire and she said it's normal to feel that way after being traumatized as bad as I was. It felt nice to be reassured that I wasn't losing my mind._" Josh leaned on his elbow in front of his computer.

Alan was silent for a moment as he contemplated whether he really wanted to ask Josh the burning question that had sprung up in his mind. "What…what did Connie recommend you do to about the nightmares?"

"_She recommended imagery rehearsal…I guess it's a type of therapy that allows you to imagine a different outcome of your nightmares, one that usually ends positively. I was surprised that it worked, of course I felt stupid doing it_." Josh replied.

"Why did you feel stupid?" Alan didn't know if he necessarily wanted to feel stupid trying not to have bad dreams.

"_Because Connie recommended doing it with another person – and my mom offered to do it with me. So for the first time in I think six years, I was tucked into bed by my mom. She came to my room last night when I was ready to go to bed and we sat in the dark and just whispered about ways to change my dreams. I don't know when I fell asleep, but I stayed asleep the entire time and woke up with the chickens today. I didn't have a single nightmare and I woke up feeling rested for the first time in months._" Josh blushed slightly as he admitted it to Alan. "_And if you tell anybody about this I swear I'll kill you Mayhem._"

"Nope, your secret's safe with me." Alan replied, actually feeling a little bit more hopeful that maybe if he could give it a try maybe he wouldn't feel like he was going insane.

"_Give it a try tonight Mayhem, honestly…it works."_ Josh said before he started to get off the computer. "_Hey I've got to go…my mom's calling me to come give her a hand with dinner. Oh, and Mayhem? Feel free to give me a call if you want to join the imagery rehearsal tonight. I swear I don't mind and I'm sure my mom wouldn't mind helping you out also."_

"Thanks Josh, I appreciate it." As Alan disconnected the call, he actually felt somewhat hopeful that maybe he'd get something more from the visit with the shrink. He hoped so.

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Jeff returned to the hospital a couple hours later, not at all happy to give bad news to his sons, but he'd agreed to return to sit in with Alan for the therapist's appointment. As Dr. Warner and Andreessen put it, it'd be more beneficial for Alan to have someone there with him as this was also going to be a therapy appointment for Jeff also as he'd have to learn ways to help Alan cope with the trauma of the school fire and Alan shouldn't have to be self-reliant in that department. Glancing at his watch, Jeff wondered if the resident therapist lived at the hospital considering she had set up Alan's appointment to be about seven in the evening – which had incidentally been close to lights out at Alan's school before it'd burned down.

Jeff went to the nurse's station and got in the gear to enter Alan's hospital room as he'd been doing for the past several months and smiled slightly when he entered Alan's hospital room to see Alan sitting up in bed, playing solitaire on his computer.

"Good evening Alan." Jeff walked in the room and held a hand up in a wave when Alan looked up.

"Hi dad." Alan closed his solitaire game to focus on his dad, a small smile coming to his face. He actually felt grateful for his dad agreeing to come back and sit with him during the talk with the shrink. He'd done some research after he'd finished talking to Josh and actually felt prepared enough to broach the topic with his dad. Hopefully his dad would be privy to helping him with this attempt to better his sleep. According to his research, improper sleep could lead to stress, anxiety, and poor health. Maybe if Alan could begin getting better sleep, he could finally begin making some strides when it came to healing and finally get his butt out of the hospital. He didn't want to be in here forever.

"So, how are you feeling?" Jeff asked as he took a seat in the chair beside Alan's bed. Alan seemed to notice the distance which his dad sat from him and hoped that by offering his dad a seat on the bed – closer to him it wouldn't be pushing boundaries. He was his son after all, his dad usually had no qualms about being in close proximity to another. And Alan had a very minimal personal bubble thanks to his brothers constantly hugging or hanging on him growing up – the same went for his brother's and their personal bubbles. Those were nearly none existent because of how often they tended to hug each other.

"Bored, wish I had a roommate to talk to." Alan said as he glanced at the wallpaper on his computer homepage – it was a collage of pictures. Alan and Jamie with their arms slung over the other's shoulders, Alan and Fermat doing a fist bump, Eddy spinning Alan around on the soccer field after an apparent epic win, Josh and Alan with their sleeves pulled up in the weight room at the school giving the camera a 'gun show', Todd and Alan wearing Groucho Marks masks and making faces at the camera and lastly right in the middle of the screen was a picture of Alan surrounded by his brothers with their dad standing a little off to the left. Jeff was touched that Alan had the latest family photo as part of his background as nobody had really wanted to have it done. They only all smiled last minute and it'd been a picture snapped by Parker.

"You'll have a roommate again soon. We just need to get those wounds closed and you out of isolation then you can begin seeing everybody again." Jeff reassured as he accepted the seat beside Alan at his gesture of patting the mattress beside him. "Just have to take it slow."

"I know, but I wish I was done already." Alan frowned. "Do…do you think I'll get better? Like _better_, better?"

"Yeah, I do. You've just run into a hiccup along the road to recovery. Nobody said this would be easy and you are bound to run into problems along the way." Jeff said as he looked at his son seriously.

"Please don't say that." Alan said as he eyed his father's watch. It was peeking out from under his father's long sleeve and Alan could see that time was nigh… he had two minutes left before his psychologist patched into his computer to hold his appointment. "Hey dad?"

"Yeah Alan?" Jeff continued looking at the background of Alan's laptop screen and filed away all the times that Alan smiled his million watt smile at the camera. He didn't get to see it nearly enough times so he memorized the look of happiness and pride that shone brightly on his son's face.

"I talked to Josh earlier…he um…he went to psychologist also." Alan felt his bravery at broaching the subject waning and now wished he hadn't said anything.

"Oh? And?" Jeff broke his gaze from the computer screen to look at Alan and noticed his son was looking away in embarrassment. "What is it Alan?"

"I – I was wondering if you'd be willing to help me with something." Alan refused to meet his father's eye.

"What is it Al?" Jeff asked, wanting to know what Alan could need help with and be embarrassed about.

"Josh mentioned something his therapist had him do and I was wondering if you'd help me with it?" Alan said, keeping his gaze locked on the blanket which covered him.

"I can't help you if I don't know what it is." Jeff prodded, hoping his son would tell him what it was.

"Imagery Rehearsal…" Alan finally blurted it out and his face went as red as a tomato.

"What is that?" Jeff asked just as Alan's computer chimed to signal that his therapist was contacting him.

'_Saved by the bell!'_ Alan thought to himself as he clicked on the accept call button.

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"Oh. My. God." Robert gazed up at his ceiling, with eyes that were red and irritated, dark circles beneath his eyes and a gaunt face. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a proper night's sleep and he'd forced himself to stay awake so he wouldn't be bothered by the nightmares which plagued him. The only time he ever slept anymore was when his body couldn't seem to withstand staying awake for much longer and he'd crash for about two hours at which time the guards would wake him up. What he wouldn't do for a little more than six hours of sleep to fully recharge his batteries.

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"Hey, do you have any idea when dad will be back?" Gordon asked as he exited the bathroom dressed for bed.

"No idea, it'd have to be soon – I can't imagine that dad would be much longer." Scott replied as he looked at his watch. It was nearing nine thirty. And Scott was still dressed as he'd actually dropped his dad off at the hospital while he went to go get him and his brothers a pizza for dinner. He was expecting his dad to call sometime soon.

"What's up fish?" John asked as he lowered the book he'd brought with him to stare at his little brother.

"I was just curious about something, that's all." Gordon said as he grabbed the remote and flopped onto his stomach on the bed.

"What were you curious about?" John asked as he noticed Scott just staring at his phone like he was trying to set it ablaze.

"I was curious about what would happen to Alan if this staph infection continues." Gordon turned his head to look at Scott and John.

"Well, if the infection doesn't go away then Alan will have no choice but to remain on antibiotics until it's all cleared up. The doctor's won't want to take the risk of Alan getting sicker." Scott replied, having been listening to his brothers talking. "Alan's probably pissed."

"I doubt it. He's been so emotional lately over the little things; I think he'd be more sad than angry." John replied. He'd seem to always be on the same wavelength with his younger blonde brother.

"I just hope he gets better soon." Gordon groaned as he tapped the remote on the back of his hand.

"He will, it's just a minor setback." John said sure that Alan would get better…in more ways than one. That he was positive of.

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Jeff sat by Alan's bedside gently holding one of Alan's hands as he gazed peacefully at Alan's sleeping face. Jeff had asked during Alan's therapy session what imagery rehearsal was and Alan's therapist had gladly explained it to the father and son – informing them that it was a common form of treatment for people who suffered from nightmares regularly or those who suffered from PTSD. Jeff had asked how it was done and the therapist explained that Alan was to walk through his nightmares aloud and then when he reached the point that the dream either became scarier or if it was scary from the beginning to consciously come up with an alternate outcome.

When Alan's therapist had ended their session and disconnected the call, Alan had been lying in his bed with drooping eyes. They were heavy from fatigue and Jeff had moved the laptop away so as to get the extra stimuli out of Alan's immediate area. Purposely turning down the lights like Josh and Alan's therapist recommended, Jeff and Alan sat in total silence before Alan began explaining his nightmares to his father.

_ "It always starts the same." Alan looked at his lap, refusing to meet his father's eyes before he began to explain. "I wake up in my bed back at Wharton, the room is stifling. I feel like I can't breathe. I can't find Fermat, and when I try to smash the glass out, it just won't break even though I'm hitting the glass with a chair."_

_ Jeff remained silent as he let Alan explain his nightmare._

_ "I run from the room, into the hall and it is so bright I feel like I'm going to go blind. It's hot and all I can do is look around for a way to escape. I take off in what I believe is the right direction and just run." Alan bit his lip as his breathing quickened. He was being pulled back into his dream despite being fully and totally awake. "The beam falls on me again and when I manage to get it off, I'm in pain and moving slower. Suddenly the floor falls out from beneath me and I am standing outside in the snow, staring at the skeleton of Wharton…it's just a shell and I hear Scott and the guys. I go to them and they are still looking through the debris for something when Gordo yells that he found 'him'._

_ Jeff's heart ached as he saw the naked fear plainly on his son's face as he listened to the nightmare be retold from his son's perspective._

_ "I go towards them, I keep trying to talk to them and they aren't responding to me…I try to touch them and my hand goes through them. It's like I'm a ghost. As I get closer to Gordon, I see what appears to be a person covered from head to toe in ash. I can smell burning flesh and it makes me sick inside. Gordon removes his glove and closes the person's eyes when I realize that it's me lying on the ground before Gordo. I'm dead." Tears spill forth from Alan's eyes and it's all Jeff can do to not join Alan._

_ "When I try to tell the guys that I'm with them, they don't even acknowledge me. I try to hit Gordo when he kissed my cheek and asked me to send his love to mom. I fell onto of my dead self and a hole opens up into the pits of what I'd assume to be Hell. I'm trying to hold on and I'm begging the guys to help me." Alan sniffed and wiped at his nose when Jeff handed him a Kleenex. "Another me, grabbed my ankle and starts whispering to me. I can't understand him and it scares me because it's like he's speaking another language. He pulls on my ankle and just before I fall he transforms into a black mass and finally pulls me in. I wake up just before I fall into the flames."_

_ Jeff absorbed all that Alan told him before reaching up to brush his thumb across Alan's cheek, beneath his eye. _

_ "It's alright son, calm down. You're safe here with me. You're safe." Jeff reassured as he hugged Alan comfortingly._

_ "How am I going to get through this dad?" Alan asked in a hushed and trembling whisper. It broke Jeff's heart all over again to hear his headstrong son sound so small and like he was four instead of fourteen._

_ "Together with your families help son. We'll always be here for you." Jeff replied, wanting to take his son's fears away. "So imagery rehearsal huh?"_

_ "…" Alan didn't say anything, just choosing to remain silent instead._

_ "To start; close your eyes for me would you? Lay back like you're going to sleep." Jeff said as he scooted further up the bed, physically lying Alan down against his pillows. "It's okay, I'm not going anywhere."_

_ Alan reached up with a trembling hand and held resolutely to his dad's fingers. He'd found the feeling of his father's warm hand brought him comfort. Jeff copied Alan and held gently to his fingers. Doing as his father said, Alan closed his eyes – only relaxing when he felt his dad run the fingers of his free hand through his hair soothingly._

_ "Now, when you find yourself waking up in the dream, to the room of fire – why don't you try imagining, not fire – but warm sunshine? It's bright, fairly harmless, comforting." Jeff suggested. Alan made himself think of the beginning of the dream and felt his heartbeat begin to race as he tried to imagine sunshine rather than fire. When it transformed with a bit of cognitive effort, Alan didn't feel nearly as anxious anymore.'_

Alan appeared to actually be getting sleep. His face was relaxed and though Alan was holding Jeff's hand still, the father had no problems with his youngest son needing and seeking comfort. He'd kind of missed it to be honest. Alan grew up so fast, he'd been rather independent from the get go and Jeff had to admit that Alan grew up at the snap of a finger. From the time he'd turned seven, he didn't want his daddy tucking him into bed every night, reading him a bedtime story anymore. He didn't need his dad reminding him to wash behind his ears before getting in the bath. He'd become pretty self-sufficient. He could still get dressed on his own. Even if he put his pants on backwards, he was a big kid and big kids didn't need a parent telling them what to do.

Gently tangling his fingers with Alan's Jeff felt content to just sit and watch his son a few more minutes. Alan finally appeared to be getting sleep and it warmed Jeff's heart to see his son relaxed for once. Since the whole fire happened, Alan had seemed stressed and constantly on edge. He was more emotional than Jeff ever thought possible and it broke his heart every time Alan would begin to cry or one of his sons brought up Alan dropping his guard around them to cry. This whole thing just threw a wrench in everything; the fire injuring Alan and Fermat, Robert apparently trying to kill Alan over money, Alan questioning his sanity. Everything was just screwed up. There was no better way to put it.

Leaning over Alan, Jeff brushed some of Alan's bangs off his forehead before planting a soft and tender kiss to Alan's forehead. Alan continued sleeping and Jeff didn't feel it would be right to awaken Alan just to say good bye and good night. Standing slowly, Jeff backed away from Alan's bed. Going to the door, Jeff stopped and turned around to look at Alan's peaceful form. "Good night son…I love you."

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Scott drove to the hospital, rubbing at his eyes. Man was he tired? His dad had only just called him to let him know that he was ready to be picked up at a quarter to midnight. John and Gordon went to bed over an hour ago and that left Scott to sit up and just watch TV on mute for the past hour, wondering if his dad was going to call or just stay the night at the hospital with Alan to ensure Alan wouldn't have another panic attack. So it came as a surprise when his phone which he'd switched to vibrate buzzed in his pocket.

Pulling into the drive, Scott glimpsed his dad standing beneath the overhang outside. Coming to a stop, Scott unlocked the door before granting his dad entrance to the vehicle. When Jeff sat in the bucket seat of the rental, it didn't surprise Scott one bit to see his father looked equally as tired as he felt.

"So how'd the session go?" Scott asked as he put the car in drive once his dad put on his seatbelt.

Jeff was silent for a few moments before nodding. "It went good. Alan was open to talking to her and he felt comfortable."

"Did he really?" Scott checked both ways before pulling onto the street and driving back to the hotel.

"Yeah, he did well." Jeff replied, happy to see that Alan seemed to embrace talking to a therapist rather than staying silent.

"Did you guys talk to the therapist this whole time?" Scott glanced at his watch and was surprised to see it was five after midnight.

"No, he talked to her for about an hour and then she had to go. Alan and I talked for a little bit and I stayed until he fell asleep." Jeff replied as he lifted a hand in front of the heater.

"When did he fall asleep?" Scott asked as he stopped for a red light.

"Two hours ago." Jeff said while directing his attention outside at the falling snow.

"And what exactly were you doing during the two hours that he was asleep?" Scott raised an eyebrow while looking at his father in confusion.

"Just watching him sleep. Making sure he didn't have any nightmares." Jeff said, remembering the peaceful look on Alan's face as he slept.

"Okay, that's not creepy." Scott remarked sardonically.

"Oh hush…I wanted to make sure he didn't have any nightmares." Jeff rolled his eyes. If this was Scott's reaction to Jeff watching Alan while he slept what would Scott's reaction be if Jeff told him about the imagery rehearsal? No, that wouldn't be pretty. Especially for Alan.

"So, how was he this evening? Aside from comfortable talking to the shrink?" Scott asked as he spotted the hotel up the road a short distance.

"He was good. He seemed to be in a fairly good mood. Despite everything kind of blowing up in his face." Jeff replied, sure that Alan actually _was_ okay and not just acting like he was. Jeff had seen a different side to Alan this evening and it was actually nice to see again. It was nice to see his son with his walls down, acting his age instead of always trying to act older than he actually was.

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_'Opening his eyes, Alan had to raise a hand to shield his face from the bright light._

_ "Fermat left the curtains open again." Alan mumbled as he squinted around the room. He was back at Wharton's. Jerking up into a sitting position, Alan was suddenly aware he was back in Wharton's…but where was the fire? It wasn't hot or stifling…his heart wasn't racing ninety to nothing…he felt relaxed for the most part. Sure he was irritated that Fermat apparently left the curtains open, but he had to admit it was kind of nice waking up to the warm sunshine. His bed was usually in the direct path of the sunlight and thus always requested Fermat close the curtains before going to bed so Alan wasn't blind upon waking. "Fermat?"_

_ Looking around curiously, Alan searched for his friend and found his friend lying in bed reading a book. Alan couldn't help but to chuckle, Fermat was always reading. Alan wondered sometimes that if Fermat and he weren't friends what Fermat would do with his day. Would he continue to read? Would he do something entirely different, maybe play sports and get out there?_

_ "Hey Fermat?" Alan asked as he blocked the sunlight from his eyes. "Why is the curtain open?"_

_ "Because i-it was about t-time you woke up." Fermat replied as he placed a bookmark in the book._

_ "What time is it?" Alan ran his fingers through his hair as he stretched. Man did it feel good to stretch and not feel pain. _

_ "It's eight." Fermat replied, setting his book to the side._

_ "What day is it?" Alan asked in confusion._

_ "December 19__th__." Fermat responded. "Why d-do you ask?"_

_ Alan paused as he tried to remember exactly why he'd asked for the date and with a shrug, he threw back his blankets. "I don't know. Just forget I asked."_

_ "Okay, s-so what do y-you want to d-do?" Fermat asked as he climbed out of bed. He was dressed for the day unlike Alan who was still in his pajamas._

_ "Let's go grab some grub." Alan said as he gathered his clothes, moving to the bathroom to get dressed. "Let's go after I get dressed."_

_ "Okay." Fermat replied as he sat on his bed before putting his shoes on._

_ When Alan exited the bathroom a few minutes later, his hair was dripping and he came out hopping on one foot as he put his sock on. Fermat chuckled at his friend's behavior and grabbed their school blazers. They were warm enough that the boys didn't require winter jackets and the teachers were usually cool with the boys taking off their blazers in class._

_ "Okay, let's go before all we get is a bowl of lucky charms. I don't know about you but I feel like I could eat a house." Alan said as he rubbed his stomach when it gave a bit of a gurgling growl._

_ Slipping into their blazers, Alan and Fermat began to exit from their dorm. When Alan grasped the door handle, he cried out at the heat. Staring at his hand, Alan noticed the skin on his hand was beginning to blister. Stepping back from the door, Alan held his arm in front of Fermat in order to prevent him from trying to open the door._

_ "W-What is it Alan?" Fermat asked as he saw Alan cradling his burnt hand to his chest._

_ "There's a fire on the other side of the door Fermat…we can't go this way." Alan continued back up from the door as he began to hear the fire popping. It was just like Rice Krispy cereal. Snap, crackle, pop – snap, crackle, pop…over and over again. "Call John, or my dad…please."_

_ Alan swung around and looked for an alternate exit, spotting the window Alan grabbed the chair from Fermat's desk and heaved it into the glass. A loud shattering sound satisfied Alan and he ran forward to try to calculate how far a drop it'd be. They were on the fourth floor and it would likely hurt them to jump. Thinking fast, Alan remembered something his grandma had taught him back when he lived in Kansas. If you are not safe to jump, create a rope of some kind to climb down. Alan had actually been forced to do it when he'd been spending the night at a friend's house. The wall socket short circuited in the house and fire started behind the wall. _

_ Alan, his friend and his friend's family had actually all been asleep. Alan's friend Leo – his older brother Jake's ferret began fussing and woke the twelve year old up. He'd gotten up and felt how hot the house was and when he'd gone to turn the thermostat down, he'd wandered into the living room and discovered the whole house was on fire. He'd run screaming for his parents and they'd all tried to evacuate everybody from the house. Alan and Leo however were too scared to try escaping on their own and Leo's brother Jake had used the bed sheets to create a rope for them to climb down. Jake had been the last out after he'd run back to his room to save his ferret. That was the scariest night of Alan's life until the school fire; Alan had been taken to the hospital then too for minor burns and smoke inhalation. _

_Shaking his head Alan looked at the sheets on his and Fermat's bed before deciding what he needed to do._

"_Let's go!" Alan despite his burnt hand grabbed the sheets off his and Fermat's bed and began tying them together. "This will only take us down to where we have about a five foot drop, but we should be fine."_

_Fermat looked back towards the door then at Alan before helping Alan to tie the sheet to one of the legs on Alan's bed. Following Alan's prompts, Fermat removed his blazer and lay it across the window sill so he wouldn't be cut by broken glass. Throwing one leg over the sill Fermat gripped the fashioned rope and began shimmying down. Alan watched Fermat go until he'd released the rope and landed on his feet on the ground. Glancing back towards the door, Alan did the same and began shimmying down the rope, ducking his head as he heard and felt the fire burst into his and Fermat's dorm room. Feeling the rope begin to give, Alan braced himself before he let go of the rope and plummeted seven feet down._


	8. Father & Son Bonding

Waking up with a start Alan looked around. He wasn't in the fire. He was safe in his hospital room. Turning sleepy eyes upward, Alan slowly rolled over, hissing slightly when he rolled over the bed sores – scratch that – staph infection. Looking forward Alan noticed the time. It was six in the morning. He'd gotten well over nine hours of sleep and surprisingly he felt good. Giving a healthy yawn, Alan slowly rubbed at his eyes.

"Wow, Josh was right." Alan mumbled as he rubbed his eyes. He felt fully rested for a change, not scared half to death like he'd felt recently. Looking towards his laptop, Alan wondered if Josh was awake yet. Shaking his head, Alan grabbed his laptop to watch a movie instead. Utilizing the search and destroy method, Alan logged into his laptop and went to the movie library accounts that his brothers created. They didn't ever get the luxury of traveling from the island to go see a movie in theatres that often so they had a tendency to rent them online from an online rental library.

Looking through the movie library, Alan finally chose a movie he felt he'd probably regret watching as it did involve fire…but his therapist suggested he try to ease back in so he wouldn't fear fire. Of course Virgil would have a sappy romance film in his video library. _Always_ was a film with Richard Dreyfuss and John Goodman with Holly Hunter…it documented a fire which was supposed to have taken place in Colorado. Pressing play, Alan settled in to watch the film.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Jeff woke up with a deep inhale, he still felt so tired. He hadn't really gone to bed the night before until well after midnight and even when he was on the island he still made himself go to bed at a reasonable hour. Last night was not reasonable by any means. Glancing at the clock, Jeff groaned when he saw the time. He'd gotten barely seven hours of sleep and he was wide awake.

'_Oh well, might as well get a head start and go see if I can make it to the hospital before Alan wakes up.'_ Jeff pushed back his blankets, groaning softly as he felt the clicks in his joints as they moved after his resting period. Standing up to his full height, Jeff quietly gathered his clothes, not wanting to disturb Brains who was still sleeping soundly in the other bed. Slipping silently into the bathroom, Jeff ran through the shower before dressing quickly and quietly.

Writing a short note for Brains, Jeff grabbed his room key, jacket, and rental car keys before leaving the hotel room. He'd made his way down to the restaurant in the hotel and grabbed a coffee and bagel before going to warm the car. As he sat in the car waiting for it to warm, Jeff couldn't help but to think back to the therapist session with Alan. The therapist talked with Alan over his fears concerning the fire. Discussed the nightmares that had been plaguing him and assured him that if he kept a dream journal on his computer or did the imagery rehearsal the dreams would lessen over time.

Seeing the look of relief crossing Alan's face had been unexpected, but Jeff was thankful. The talk with the therapist was almost cathartic for Alan, he'd talked about things he'd been uncomfortable with before. Like his feelings. Alan himself couldn't stand discussing his feelings, crying in front of any of his family or saying three simples words like 'I love you' without fear of teasing from his brothers. The therapist had reassured Alan that that was normal for a growing boy such as himself and it'd get better with time.

Alan had revealed to the therapist how he'd felt ashamed for being victimized by Robert, how he feared mentioning it to his family because he didn't like the thought of being teased by his brothers for being weak. His Therapist had told Alan that he shouldn't have been ashamed and told him again how normal that was. Victims always felt like they'd brought it on themselves. It was fallacious, but Alan had felt just like the numbers of people who were victimized.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, Jeff backed out of the spot he'd parked at the night prior and drove to the hospital to go see Alan. He should still be asleep; of course he could be awake. Alan's sleep schedule was all messed up due to the hospital schedule. He slept at all hours of the day so sometimes he'd wake up and stay up for hours doing nothing but watching movies on his laptop or talking to one of his brothers or friends via laptop connection.

Driving to the hospital, Jeff wondered if the imagery rehearsal had worked. ALan had been sound asleep when Jeff had left the night prior, showing no sign that he was going to have a nightmare at all. Alan did show when he was going to have a nightmare, it was rare if his family picked up on it, but you could usually tell by watching Alan as he slept. If after he fell asleep, he became restless right off the bat, chances were that you'd be waking Alan up from whatever dreadful memory decided to haunt him that night. If he stayed still, occasionally rolling over or mumbling in his sleep, the chances that Alan was going to have a nightmare were 25 percent that a nightmare would occur.

'_I hope the imagery rehearsal worked okay, I'd like to see that Alan got a full night's sleep by the time I get there.'_ Jeff smiled hopefully as he drove into the parking lot of the hospital. He'd remained hopeful that everything would get better from here on out. One could hope right?

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Alan watched the film, clutching his blanket like a little kid hiding from the boogie man as he watched the flames lick at the plane's underbelly. He heard the character played by Richard Dreyfuss whistling that hauntingly eerie tune as he tried to help his lover navigate the plane.

"Come on! Come on!" Alan spoke aloud as he watched, practically on the edge of his seat as the plane started to catch on fire. Alan felt his breathing quicken but for a whole other reason. The movie was suspenseful at that moment in time and Alan found himself hoping that Holly Hunter's charter would be okay. She had her lover watching over her from a place that was like heaven. '_Could this be how it happened with me and Fermat? Is it possible that my mom was with me and Fermat like Pete is with Dorinda? Protecting her, making her feel safe and loved despite the fear and knowledge that she could very well die?'_

Alan was so enthralled in the movie, he didn't notice that someone had entered the room and sat in a seat beside him. Staring unblinkingly at the screen, Alan continued to watch the film until the credits rolled by.

"It's a good movie isn't it?"

Alan jumped when he heard the voice and his head whipped around to see his father sitting in the chair beside him.

"It wasn't that good." Alan covered.

"You can admit you liked it. You had that look on your face; I've even had that look on my face before." Jeff grinned and Alan could see the twinkle in his dad's eye. Looking down embarrassedly, Alan nodded.

"I guess it was good." Alan replied shyly.

"The fire didn't bother you?" Jeff asked, knowing that _Always_ had some scenes which involved close encounters with fire and he knew that might have disturbed Alan, since he'd developed a fear of fire.

"No, but I focused on the song Pete whistled a lot." Alan admitted.

"That's so good Alan. That's like your therapist suggested wasn't it?" Jeff asked with a tilt of his head.

"Yeah, try to focus on something when encountering the object of your fear. Don't concentrate on your fear but the object you are focusing on." Alan said, recalling what his therapist said the night prior.

"How did the song go?" Jeff asked, curious to see if Alan remembered the melody.

"It went like…" Alan pursed his lips and whistled the tune of a doomed man. Jeff sat and listened in stunned silence. Alan never knew how to whistle, ever growing up. He couldn't figure out how to hold his tongue and he'd been tongue tied as a child so whistling hadn't been easy for him.

"That's really good Alan." Jeff praised when Alan quit whistling.

"Thanks." Alan blushed at the compliment, looking anywhere but at his father's eyes.

"So how did you sleep last night son?" Jeff asked, hoping that the lack of dark circles beneath Alan's eyes meant that he'd gotten plenty of restful sleep. The kid certainly deserved it.

"Good, I uh…started to have a nightmare, but I was able to change it." Alan admitted, prompting his dad to smile big enough that the smile could be seen from behind the hospital mask. Ruffling Alan's hair, Jeff hugged his son.

"That's wonderful son!" Jeff hugged Alan warmly; he was proud that his baby was able to actually consciously change his dream. While he wanted to know how the dream turned out, he'd let Alan broach the subject. He wouldn't force the boy to discuss it if he didn't want to.

"What are you doing here so early?" Alan asked as he glanced up at the clock. His dad was extremely early. He wouldn't get breakfast for another hour at least.

"What? Is it wrong for me to visit my baby?" Jeff asked teasingly.

"No, of course it's not. It's just I know you don't normally wake up this early is all." Alan asked as he relaxed in his father's warm embrace. As old as he got, he'd always love his dad's hugs.

"I couldn't stay asleep, so I figured I'd come here so you wouldn't wake up to an empty room. Imagine my surprise to come in and see you sucked into a movie." Jeff replied, gently rubbing Alan's arm as he spoke. "So what do you want to do?"

"I uh…" Alan shrugged as he didn't know what he wanted to do.

"Want to watch another movie?" Jeff asked as he watched the credits quit rolling across the screen.

"Sure." Alan beamed at his dad, happy that he'd get to spend time with his dad. He'd get his father's undivided attention and that was a dime a dozen for Alan. He felt like the luckiest boy in the world.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Kolby sat in his cell, staring ahead at the wall. He was counting down to the days that he'd have to sit in the courthouse and be on trial. Sure he felt bad for having done what he'd done to Alan, Fermat and the rest of their friends. He'd been stupid and there was no excuse for that. Glancing up at the calendar outside his cell by the guard's desk, he counted down to the day that he'd also be going to the prison. His public defender told him they'd let him stay in the correctional facility until the day after his birthday, but then he'd be locked up for the next five years – not including the length of time that he'd be locked up after the case of the fire. Five years was just for the assault.

"Hey! You've got a visitor!" Kolby looked up when the guard banged on the bars of his cell. Standing up, Kolby walked over to the cell door and waited for the guard to unlock his door.

"Who is it?" Kolby looked towards the guard with a questioning look.

"Your father, he wanted to stop in to visit for a few moments." The guard replied before handcuffing Kolby and leading him through the cell block.

"My dad? What's he doing here?" Kolby was surprised, his dad lived in London running his veterinarian practice.

"No clue." The guard said as he brought Kolby before the visitors room. Kolby gazed in and saw his father. He looked like he always had. Humble, barely scraping by. He looked rough.

When the guard opened the door, the middle aged man looked up with a gentle smile. Kolby's handcuffs were undone as he was granted the permission to embrace his father.

"Dad! What are you doing here?!" Kolby hugged his dad tightly. Despite his and Mason's mother and father leaving he and his brother in the care of their aunt and uncle, he deeply missed their parents.

"I've come to see you for your birthday son. I know it's early, but this was the best time to come see you."

"Why?" Kolby hugged his father again, feeling like a human again. Being locked up in a cell 24x7 had the potential to drive a guy crazy.

"Because." Kolby's father pulled back from his son and looked at him carefully. "I'm sorry son."

"Why?" Kolby asked, afraid his dad was severely disappointed in him and his little brother for their screw up.

"Your mother and I were wrong to leave you and your brother in the care of your aunt and uncle. If we'd brought you two along with us neither of you might be in this mess. For that I'm sorry."

"It wasn't your fault dad. Mason and I – we were the ones that screwed up. You and mom raised us better and we both were blinded by peer pressure to do what we did. Mason and I should be the ones that are sorry dad." Kolby said as he looked at his father with a hint of a smile.

"I'm still disappointed in your mother and I…we're your parents and we couldn't stop this from happening."

"You couldn't have stopped it dad. We were in too deep." Kolby said as he basically forgave his father for leaving him and his brother with their aunt and uncle to pursue a career in London.

"I'm still sorry though son."

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Scott sat up with a stretch. He certainly had better sleep, that was for sure. He hadn't gone to bed until one that morning and now it was almost ten. Running his fingers through his hair, Scott stretched again with a groan as he felt his joints pop. Rubbing at his eyes, Scott gazed at the foot of his bed to see John and Gordon with his laptop, sharing earbud headsets as they watched a video.

Tossing back his blankets, Scott stood up with another stretch. They just felt so satisfying. Heading to the bathroom, Scott ignored his brothers for the moment. When he left the bathroom a few moments later, he came out feeling just a little bit more awake. He'd splashed some cold water in his face and it had certainly felt good to wake up a little bit. Not feel so damn groggy.

"Good morning sunshine!" Gordon sang annoyingly.

"Morning to you too." Scott greeted as he grabbed the blankets from his bed and crawled beneath them, with his head at the foot of the bed. "What are you two watching?"

"Another video of Alan and his friends goofing off at Wharton's." John said with a grin. "It shouldn't be funny, but it's hilarious."

"What's it about?" Scott glanced over top of his brother's head to watch the video.

"Alan got caught being goofy again, this time by Fermat." Gordon replied as he rewound the video. "Watch this Alan knows how to cut a rug."

_'Fermat walked into the cafeteria, his camera hidden as the video was sideways. Obviously Wharton's had a policy that everyone was required to help clean the cafeteria. _

_ "So, w-what you're a-about to see is A-Alan…dancing while h-he cleans the c-cafeteria. He's not i-in trouble or anything. T-The students, we're a-all just required to r-rotate shifts and h-help clean the cafeteria and k-kitchen." Fermat looked off screen and gave a chuckle. "Alan doesn't k-know that I've been standing here, b-but he just started playing m-music on his phone. Oh h-he's doing it."_

_ Fermat pointed his camera in the cafeteria and Alan was dancing around and lip syncing along. He picked up his broom and pretended to sing into the broomstick.'_

"How much do you think he watched that video to copy their choreography?" Scott was smiling and was quite amused to see his little brother dancing around to the tune of Tearin' up my Heart

"I don't know, but he is brilliant." John chuckled. "Is he really singing?"

"I think he is…" Gordon watched with his mouth agape. "His music isn't up _that_ loud."

"If he's really singing, he sure can belt it out." Scott said as he watched the video, he was impressed. He figured his little brother, what with his long and gangly limbs would always and forever be the klutz in their family. But Alan just proved in this video that he's actually got some pretty slick moves. "Wow, maybe when he's better we'll have to catch him dancing some time."

"That'd be awesome." Gordon replied as they prepared to watch another clip. "If that's him really singing, he should have a record deal."

"I'm with you there bro." Scott said as John gave a so-so hum. "Okay let's watch this."

"Where did they get the balloons?" John asked as Alan and a few friends were sat in lawn chairs outside on what appeared to be a patio.

"I have no…what are they doing?" Scott asked as he watched Alan put the balloon to his mouth and the balloon deflates just a little.

_ "Hello, my name is Todd. So today we're doing valley girl impersonations because we're bored and we have all these balloons here. By the way, Happy Birthday Alan." Todd leaned in on camera. "Alan here as the guys like to call him…Mayhem will be starting us off since he's the birthday boy. Take it away Alan."_

_ Alan chuckled when his balloons gave a high pitched squeal, before closing off the little hole he'd made in the balloon._

_ "Oh my god, did you see that guy at the mall today? He was so totally hot." Alan said while trying not to laugh. "I wonder if I should give him my phone number."_

_ His friends began laughing at Alan's valley girl impersonation. Josh sucked in a little helium and began singing a song from the movie classic, Wizard of Oz._

_ "Oh we're off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz!"_

_ Alan and his friends began laughing as they all sucked in helium and joined Josh singing the song.'_

"I can't believe that they are actually sucking helium." Scott said. He'd tried it once and he'd become dizzy afterward, he'd told Alan and his brothers never to do it…but watching it was possibly the most hilarious thing he'd ever seen.

"We'll have to get Alan some balloons and make him say some really zany things. I bet it'd be hysterical." Gordon said as he stifled a laugh.

_'Hey, let's imitate Alvin and the chipmunks.' Jem suggested._

_ "Or Woody the woodpecker." Eddy said as he inhaled a bit of helium. He began doing a chuckle sound and soon everyone was practically rolling on the ground at the Woody the woodpecker impersonation._

It just about made Scott, John and Gordon bust a gut laughing because the boys still had the squeaky helium voices.

"_Hey Jem, What do you call a seagull that flies over the bay?" Alan asked as he waited for his young friend to inhale a bit of helium himself._

_ "I don't know Dodger, what do you call a seagull that flies over the bay?" Jem shrugged, honestly not knowing the punchline of the joke._

_ "A bagel!" Alan replied, having taken in more helium and therefore sounding higher pitched than Theodore – Alvin's little chipmunk brother._

_ Everyone laughed good naturedly before Josh waved at everyone to quiet down._

_ "Okay everyone, here's one." Josh said as he raised his balloon to take another inhale. "What do you call an alligator in a vest?"_

_ "I don't know, what do you call an alligator in a vest?" Eddy asked, his voice gradually getting deeper as the small bit of helium he'd inhaled began to wear off._

_ "An investigator…get it?" Josh asked as his friends guffawed at the joke._

_ "Okay, we need to tone it down a little. I'm getting a headache." Alan said as he released his balloons to cradle his head. The balloons made a pffft noise as it floated away._

_ "It's p-probably all the h-helium." Fermat said, his stutter just making his helium voice sound all the funnier._

"No duh." Scott said as he knew that inhaling too much helium could give you a headache because you weren't breathing oxygen.

"Ssh." John hissed as he continued watching the video.

_ "Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Alan!"_

Scott, John and Gordon all gasped silently as they heard a couple older voices begin singing. Alan looked up behind the camera and his face lit up with a smile that could be akin to an excitable school child in a toy store.

A cake was set in Alan's lap and a goofy looking birthday hat was placed on Alan's head. An elderly hand reached out and brushed a lock of hair out of Alan's eyes before they were heard.

"_Make a wish Alan and blow out your candles."_

_ Alan hunched his shoulders as he closed his eyes as if in deep thought while thinking of a good birthday wish before he opened his eyes. Taking a deep breath, Alan blew out the fourteen individual candles on the cake. Applause was heard and Alan was jostled as he received pats on the back from everyone._

_ "Thank you grandma Elsie." Alan said as an elderly woman leaned into the frame to hug Alan._

_ "You're welcome darling. Happy birthday." _

"So that's what Elsie sounded like?" Gordon asked as he recalled there being a picture of Alan with the elderly couple and his friends. He'd kind of always wondered what she sounded like and thought she sounded a little bit like their grandma Ruth.

"I guess so." John replied as they continued to watch the video.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

"That was a good movie dad." Alan said as he relaxed back against his father's chest. The two of them had just finished watching _Inception_ and Alan had really liked it. It was a thinker film. Made you think and try to figure out the puzzle.

"I thought so too. I didn't know if I'd like it." Jeff said with a smile happy that he'd gotten to spend several hours with Alan so far. It was nice just being able to spend time with Alan and not have any interruptions. The only time anyone had come in the room so far was to give Alan his breakfast and a med check then later he'd have his dressing changed. Alan wasn't complaining of the sores, so Jeff hoped that meant good news.

"I thought you'd have watched it already to make sure it was appropriate for me to watch?" Alan looked with surprise at his father. Usually his dad would have watched or had one of his brothers watch a movie to give a play by play so he'd know if he'd need to hit mute or cover Alan's ears at all during the film. But neither nor his sons had watched it yet and Jeff was pleased to say that it wasn't too overly adult. There was some language, but nothing Alan didn't already hear occasionally around the villa.

"I've done this with your brothers before…consider it a rite of passage." Jeff said with an obvious smile. "Your brothers always would beg to watch a movie for themselves without it being censored; so I'd purposely watch a film with them neither of us had seen so I couldn't mute it if a questionable scene was about to come on."

"That's awesome dad." Alan said with his own big grin.

Jeff gently ruffled Alan's hair, counting his lucky stars probably for the millionth time since the fire that he'd been given another chance with Alan, to apologize after that horrendous fight they'd had the night before the fire. Alan very well could have been lost. The smoke inhalation had been so bad that after he'd been given the opportunity to see Alan the doctor had pulled him aside and told him that Alan was very lucky to be alive and not just because of the burns.

The smoke inhalation had scorched Alan's throat and lungs. The doctor had been unsure how Alan would recover. Sure his voice was considerably softer, but the smoke had also partially damaged his vocal cords.

"Knock-knock!" Alan and Jeff looked over at the familiar call and both smiled as Dr. Andreessen entered the room. "It's just me."

"Hi me, how are you today?" Alan asked with a cheeky grin.

"Hardy-har-har Alan. I'm good though." Dr. Andreessen nodded in greeting at Alan and Jeff. "I guess I deserve that response."

"No, I just felt like being a smart aleck." Alan said as he winked at the doctor.

"Well you seem to be in a better mood today." Dr. Andreessen came closer to Alan to get a better look at Alan. "What's different?"

"I actually got some decent sleep last night and it was wonderful." Alan replied cheerfully.

"Good to hear." Dr. Andreessen said as he donned a a second pair of rubber gloves. "If you don't mind I'd like to check one of the infected sites…is that okay Alan?"

The blonde made a noise of agreement before shivering as his hospital blanket was removed from his legs. Dr. Andreessen removed the bandages and looked carefully at the wounds before giving a nod of approval.

"Looking good Alan. I can already see a difference. The infection seems to be less red this morning." Dr. Andreessen said as he applied an antibiotic ointment to the infected site. "Let's take a look at your other burns while we're at it."

Alan looked at his dad nervously, but he hadn't a thing to worry about thus far. His dad was there and was being supportive, that's all Alan had to ask for.

"How are you feeling Alan? Any fever, aches or pains that is flu-like at all?" Dr. Andreessen asked as he continued to check over Alan's burns.

"No, I feel good. No pain outside of the occasional sting or smarting sensation I feel. Is that good?" Alan asked skeptically.

"Yes, it's very good in fact. It means your body is still agreeing with your brother's skin donation. As long as you're feeling good that's all that matters." Dr. Andreessen said as he rewound the bandages around Alan's feet and legs. "I think I've bothered you enough for now. I'll let myself out, you just have a good day with your dad."

Alan smiled at the doctor as he gathered the used bandages and medicine tubes before leaving the room. Heaving a sigh, Alan resettled in his father's arms. Jeff clasped his hands in front of Alan's chest as his son got comfortable once more.

"What do you say to having a father son movie marathon?" Jeff asked with a raised eyebrow. Alan looked up at him and nodded with a big grin. Jeff gestured at Alan to select the next movie since Jeff had chosen Inception for them to watch. Alan scrolled through the movie library, looking for a suitable movie to put on. Smiling at his dad with a good natured wink he selected Jurassic Park. Jeff groaned, Alan loved watching Jurassic Park when he'd been a little kid. He loved the dinosaurs and wasn't scared a bit by the T-Rex. Not to say that Jeff was scared, but he'd been Jurassic Park-ed out.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Virgil sat up on the side of his hospital bed, glancing toward the door before hiking up his hospital gown just a bit. The nurses hadn't wanted to keep the grafting site to moist, so they'd only just begun leaving the surgical site open so it could scab over. It wasn't necessary to keep it wrapped tightly like it was with Alan's injuries. Gazing down at his legs, Virgil couldn't help but to wince. The surgical site, though not likely to scar looked painful. His legs were bruised in spots and he could see where the scabs had lifted slightly, allowing there to be some incredibly minor blood flow. Running a hand tentatively over his thigh, Virgil shivered at his leg feelings so bumpy and scabby. It felt gross even to the seasoned medic.

"I wonder how Alan is doing right now." Virgil wondered aloud to himself as he allowed his hospital gown to fall back down over his legs. Standing up slowly, Virgil walked around the room for a few minutes, wanting to just stretch his legs. Lying in bed was driving him crazy. He didn't know how Alan was handling it before he shook his head with a disgusted groan. Alan wasn't handling it as well as he and his family liked to believe. He was nearing his breaking point and at just that moment Virgil wondered about one of Gordon's fears just after the fire had occurred.

How would Alan be affected by the fire? Would he still be the same old Alan or would he be different? If he was in fact different, would it be for the better or for the worse? Virgil just didn't know and he decided not to dwell on it. For now Alan was doing just fine and everything would be taken care of in due time…it'd just be a little while longer.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Mason sat in the living area at the juvenile correctional facility. He was going over a homework assignment that the Department of Juvenile Corrections had given him when he'd expressed wanting to get his GED. They'd gladly gotten him enrolled and Mason used the homework to distract him from being locked up. It was his mistake, his screw up and so he'd have to face his punishment.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: So just a little update, while I am still sort of struggling in algebra - the semester is finally coming to an end so now it's just time to study,study,study.**_

_**I will be posting a wee Tracy story the week of Thanksgiving - I've been working on it for the past year and I've finally gotten it finished so be on the look out for The Polka-Dotted Pilgrims. I hope you've all enjoyed this two new chapters to Rising From The Ashes.**_

~Angel~


	9. Visitation

Two days later found Alan counting his ceiling tiles probably the hundredth time in just that day alone. He was bored out of his mind. His dad had come and gone after feeding him his breakfast saying he couldn't stay long because the courts were picking up where they'd left off with the trial. Alan had closed his eyes and nodded in understanding when his father expressed his genuine regret over not being able to have another father son movie marathon like they'd been doing recently. Alan was brought out of his musings by a soft knock on the door.

Tilting his head to try and see around his partially closed curtain, Alan spied Dr. Andreessen pushing a med cart loaded down with all the wonderful ointments that Alan was required to use.

"Hi Doc." Alan greeted as he peered around the edge of the curtain. "What's up?"

"Oh, hi Alan. Nothing much. Just coming around to change your IV antibiotics bag and check your burns." Dr. Andreessen replied tiredly.

"What's up? Are you okay?" Alan seemed genuinely concerned for how tired his doctor seemed.

"Hm? Oh…I'm fine. Just tired is all." Dr. Andreessen stifled a yawn into his elbow.

"What, just been too busy?" Alan asked, probing for an answer – if nothing else just to give them something to talk about more in depth.

"No. Remember I told you a while back that my wife was pregnant?" Dr. Andreessen felt okay enough discussing his home life with his patient. The two of them had conversations about Dr. Andreessen's impending fatherhood and Alan's horror stories that his family had told him about from when he'd been a baby.

"Yeah?" Alan replied, intrigued over the conversation.

"Well, she's only got about a month and a half – two months left of her pregnancy and she's been having trouble sleeping. Her tossing and turning wakes me up half the time and I just stay up talking to her until she falls asleep again." Dr. Andreessen said with a soft smile. It's not that he was mad at his wife, it's not like she could help the baby's positioning; but he wished the baby would move off his wife's spine enough to not make her back hurt throughout the night. That'd be a blessing if he could get just a few more hours of sleep a night before the baby was born.

"Have you tried listening to music at all? My dad once mentioned to me that when my mom was pregnant with me in particular I was always keeping mom awake because I was more active at night than during the day." Alan mentioned, finding it odd that he was giving advice to a father to be when he was merely fourteen – nowhere close to being a dad. "My dad mentioned that my mom would get up and play the piano or would listen to violin music in order to get me to settle down so she could sleep. I don't know if it works with all babies, but you and your wife could always give it a try."

Dr. Andreessen nodded at Alan's suggestion. It wouldn't hurt to try, he'd do anything to get the baby to settle long enough for he and his wife to get some more shuteye.

"Thanks, I'll give it a try Alan." Dr. Andreessen said as he donned a pair of gloves. "Now what say we get you turned over so I can check the sores?"

"Well, you might as well. I'd help, but as you know I can't exactly grip anything very well right now." Alan said as he lowered his head in shame at being rolled onto his side, his backside facing the doctor so he could check the staph infection in the small of his back. He tried to ignore the doctor's fingers fitting beneath his right hip to flip him onto his left. He shivered when he felt a cool, damp cloth run over his skin.

"Sorry." Dr. Andreessen murmured when he felt more than saw Alan shiver.

"It's okay." Alan replied as he peeked around the edge of the curtain to see the mirror and sink near the front door.

The doctor remained silent for a little while as he continued running the cloth over Alan's skin before making a hum of approval. Alan craned his neck to try looking at the doctor.

"Well, you'll be happy to hear that it looks like the infection has gone away." Dr. Andreessen said as he stood to roll Alan towards him and walking around the bed to inspect Alan's other side. Flipping Alan with little to no problem just like the first time, made things go faster and Dr. Andreessen was delighted to report that it looked like the infection had cleared up in just three days of antibiotic treatment. "I'm positive the infection has cleared up Alan. Looks like you get to be moved again."

"Oh yay." Alan said false excitement. He just loved being moved from room to room. '_Yeah, right._' Alan thought to himself with a shake of the head. "So when do you want to relocate me again?"

"How about after you get a sponge bath? Then you'll be nice and squeaky clean before being settled in a new bed with fresh linens." Dr. Andreessen said politely. He didn't want to anger his patient or anything by suggesting they do the relocation right this instant and it'd give Alan a chance to visit with his father again before being placed back in isolation.

"I suppose that'll work." Alan said with a shrug of his shoulders. He was really getting tired of being bounced around from room to room and all he really wanted was to get better so that he could go home and recover the remainder there in comfort…and the sun, couldn't forget that. Alan had fretted earlier over having lost his almost perpetual tan he'd acquired due to lack of sunlight permitted into his room. Dr. Warner said it wouldn't be healthy for him to receive a lot of sun especially when he was on a vast array of medications which could make him susceptible to burn easier than he'd like.

"Then you and your father can visit a little bit more before you are returned to isolation the remainder of your surgeries." Dr. Andreessen said lightly, being aware that the prospect of isolation still was a sore subject with Alan.

"Can't…dad's going to be at the courthouse all day and can't come visit. He stopped by for breakfast, but that's the extent of my visit." Alan replied with a sad smile. The smile dropped from his face and Alan was left with a morose and dejected feeling. He wished the courts hadn't chosen today of all days to return to session, especially with the new found discovery that Alan would be returning to isolation.

"Well, would you mind if I contacted your grandmother or one of your brothers to come visit before you return to isolation?" Dr. Andreessen asked, hoping to appease his patient's sad mood that had descended on him.

"You'd do that?" Alan perked up and gave the doctor the puppy dog eyes he usually reserved for his family or the nurses. It was rare that Dr. Andreessen experienced Alan's puppy dog eyes.

"Yes, you aren't under any threat of coming down with another infection as long as none of your brothers or grandmother has caught a cold. I'll go give a call to one of the provided numbers and see who'd like to come over to visit." Dr,. Andreessen said as he gathered all his supplies before leaving the room. Alan was left to wonder if any of his brothers or grandmother had gone to the courthouse as well and he hoped not. He desperately wanted to see some of his family, he felt like it'd been forever since he'd seen any of them and he just wanted a hug.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Scott, John and Gordon were sitting in the dining area of a small mom and pop diner when John's cell phone began to ring. John had just taken a bite of his mushroom and Swiss burger when he'd pulled his phone from his pocket to see the caller identified as Hospital. Wiping his fingers on the paper napkin he'd been given, John pressed the answer button and around a mouthful of food John answered.

"Go." John couldn't say much considering his cheeks were bulging with a mouthful of food. He chewed as quickly as he dared so he wouldn't bite his tongue or cheek or God forbid – choke.

John listened silently as he chewed before his eyebrows furrowed slightly. He glanced around quickly as he slowed his chewing. Swallowing heavily, John took a sip of his lemon iced tea before he spoke.

"Alan's okay with that?" John's tongue worked around beneath his upper lip to get an annoying piece of French fry that was irritating his gums to succumb to its fate and be eaten. Wiping his mouth on the napkin he held, John cleared his throat before speaking again. "Yeah, I don't mind. I'm just eating lunch with Scott and Gordon. I can be over in say the next half hour?"

Scott and Gordon who sat side by side both inclined their heads, setting down their own burgers when John disconnected the call and pocketed his cell phone. Sitting silently, John signaled to the waitress to bring the check before he requested a doggy bag for the remainder of his lunch to be packaged in for later.

"What's up?" Gordon asked as he dipped a French fry in the mustard and mayonnaise concoction on the side of his plate. While most people ate fries dipped in ketchup, Gordon most preferred mustard and mayonnaise mixed together. It was just like how Alan liked dipping his macaroni and cheese in ketchup. It was an odd combination but it just made them who they were.

"That was Alan's physician. He wanted to see if I'd like to come and visit Alan for a little bit in place of dad. Since this will be anybody's last chance to see Alan again for a while." John said as he licked a dollop of mayonnaise off the side of his knuckle after transferring his burger and remaining fries into the doggy bag.

"Whoa – stop – rewind…what was that about last chance?" Scot held his hands up in a T as he called a time out.

"I was saying that Alan is going to be moved again. Dr. Andreessen mentioned Alan's infection healed. They're moving him back to the isolation ward tonight after the close of visiting hours." John said as he finished the last of his ice tea before standing to shrug into his jacket. He grabbed the bill before digging out his wallet and striding forward to pay for his and his brother's meal. He felt a bit playful with the waitress and he winked at her causing her to giggle before he left. Her number was written on the back of a used order paper which John had slipped into his wallet. Maybe if John was feeling it he'd go and see about having a night just to himself…maybe; lord knows he could go for a little something that didn't involve worrying over his brother's well-being or hospitalization.

"So, what?" Scott asked with a shrug, wanting to know his little brother's plans for the rest of the day.

"So, I'm going to go and visit Alan and maybe see about going out for a night on the town later." John said simply as he walked out the door, a quick word of thanks tossed over his shoulder.

"Well, could you at least drop Gordo and I off at the hotel before you take the car?" Scott begged, before he caught the keys that were chucked at his face.

"You're dropping me off at the hospital genius. If I do happen to go out tonight, I may have a drink or two and I'd rather not be caught with my pants down behind the wheel of a car." John said, not realizing that what he said made his brother's giggle like little girls until they were full on laughing like a couple of donkeys. "What's so funny?"

"You and I both know you were caught in that position more than we'd like to remember by the local sheriff in Kansas. And I seem to remember a certain girl with glasses and full lips that loved showering you with affection behind the wheel of grandpa's old Ford." Scott teased his younger brother, taking pleasure in the fact that John was blushing finally as he caught on to what his brother's found so funny. "And I seem to remember how embarrassed you two were when the sheriff brought the two of you by the scruff of your necks to the front door of grandma and grandpa's after catching you and her together."

"Okay! Enough!" John covered his face and stormed across the parking lot before stopping beside the passenger side of the car to wait for his brother to unlock the door. Scott and Gordon began laughing again as they crossed the lazy parking lot to approach the car. Both Scott and Gordon took pleasure in flustering their brother who was usually as calm as a cucumber.

Scott and Gordon got into their respective places before Scott began driving forward, easing off his brother a little. It was fun for a while, but Scott knew when to stop and John storming across the parking lot was John's way of reminding his brothers not to cross the line. What happened between him and an old flame was old news – especially when he'd been hurt by said flame simply because of his father's money. As Scott drove, he couldn't help but analyze the nickname given to an ex-lover. Flame…it had an oddly smoldering quality to it. Funny, how love was like a fire. You usually felt the heat of love licking at the dredges of your heart, pocking and prodding you along so you'd take the flame and play with it. Didn't matter if you got burn or not. It was usually fun for a while, but then one or both parties were burned and healing those wounds weren't fun. Not fun at all.

"Scott, what are you thinking about?" John's soft voice broke through the walls of Scott's thoughts and Scott realized he'd been on autopilot for a while.

"Uh, nothing…not really." Scott deflected, not wanting to bring the attention to himself.

"Don't give me that. What you were thinking about? Was it her?" John asked, edging on the territory that both Scott and John bristled at. They'd both been burned and both by the same flame.

"I don't want to talk about her. She's not of our concern." Scott said tersely. He didn't want to think of her…not again. He'd admit it, he'd been burned as had John and it wasn't a pleasant memory for either of them.

Gordon who sat in the back shifted nervously, not liking where the conversation was heading. He knew his brothers had a past, but it was one he liked to avoid among other things. It was years ago and they both should be over it by now. Scott noticed his younger brother's nervous shifting and got the picture. The topic of conversation was making Gordon uncomfortable because the last time Scott and John had even brought her up, Virgil wound up dealing with three injured brothers nursing bloody noses and black eyes. Alan had unfortunately tried to break his brothers apart and hadn't received any awards for his actions. The only awards he received was a trip to the dentist's office to have a tooth implanted after he'd gotten an elbow to the face. That had been rough especially for Gordon since he'd been the one holding a cup of milk in his lap which contained Alan's tooth while Jeff held a bloody towel to Alan's mouth after he'd ordered Brains pilot one of the family jets to the mainland. That hadn't been fun, especially finding out there wasn't anything the dentist could do to place Alan's tooth back in. Alan would wind up with a tooth implant…that had been six months of torture for the poor kid as well as on his family. But that was another story for another time.

"Fine." John said, thankfully dropping the subject before things could get heated. Scott went back to thinking about how it was that an old romantic interest acquired the name of flame but shook his head and scolded himself internally before he settle down. There was no point in thinking of her again. She broke both his and John's hearts in a day and damaged their relationship for a while…but it was old news and Scott would be damned if he let thoughts of his and John's old flame ruin his day out.

When they pulled up in front of the hospital, Scott put the car in park before he turned to look at John.

"Hey, I'm sorry about the teasing earlier." Scott apologized before watching his brother slide from his seat to let Gordon claim the spot.

"It's cool Scott." John said after shutting the door and leaning in the window to talk to his brothers. "I probably won't stay long…just long enough to give the Sprout his lunch and dinner then I'll probably call to be picked up." John said with one of his gentlest smiles he could muster.

"What about that chick that gave you her number?" Scott asked, wanting his brother to at least do something with someone of the opposite gender even if it was just going to get a milkshake.

"I don't know Scott. Maybe." John replied before he stepped away from the car. "Later guys."

"Later." Scott and Gordon said as they began to drive off, Gordon glancing over his shoulder as he watched his brother enter the hospital.

Gordon sat in silence for a few minutes before he spoke. "So, what's on the agenda today?"

"Feel up to going to intimidate the little prick that kicked our baby brother's ass?" Scott asked, his voice betraying the built up anger.

"You know it." Gordon replied as he got comfy for the drive.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

John stood in the hospital gift shop, thumbing through the cellophane wrapped magazines. He wanted to get Alan something that would hedge the boredom Alan was likely to feel after he got put back in isolation. His brother wasn't one that liked being laid up in bed. He was naturally restless. Always had been, likely always would be. He already had a couple decent selections ranging from racing magazines to things that attracted Alan's attention like video games and mechanic related magazines. As he turned to go buy his selections, his eyes stopped on something that was like a blast from the past.

Walking up to the shelf, John felt himself melting over the memory this little trinket brought up and settled on buying it for his little brother. It'd at least bring Alan some form of comfort, especially since his last one had been taken forcefully and destroyed in front of the boy. Nestling the little trinket in the crook of his elbow, John paid for his purchase before striding out of the gift shop to go meet with his little brother.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Alan lay in his bed, an arm over his eyes as he tried to think of something else to keep his mind occupied. He'd already counted the ceiling tiles, there was only so many times he could count those without wishing the sky would fall and the ceiling might crush him and put him out of his misery.

"Knock, knock Sprout…may I come in?" Alan perked up at the voice, a smile stretching the corners of his mouth as he practically latched onto John the moment he was within arm's reach. "Hey kiddo, how're you doing?"

"I'm better now that I can see someone else from the outside world." Alan said as he buried his face in John's chest. Taking a deep breath, Alan refreshed the memory of his brother's scent – it reminded Alan of hot chocolate, probably because John lived and breathed chocolate. "Thanks for coming to visit."

"It's no problem Al. I'd have given up anything to get this chance to visit with my favorite little brother." John said as he welcomed the hug Alan had yet to release him from. "God, is it good to see you Sprout?"

Alan only hugged John just a little bit tighter. He'd missed his brothers terribly when he'd been in isolation. Seeing John before lock up again would make being placed in isolation a little bit easier now that he got to see some of his family.

"As much as I'd like to stay like this, I think the reason for my coming over was to visit…of course we can keep hugging all you want." John said as he gently rubbed his cheek against Alan's hair. He opened his eyes slowly and found himself coming face to bald patch. His face softened sadly at the thought that Alan had done that to himself. John wished he could retract his statement after realizing that Alan was withdrawing from the hug. "So tell me all about what's been going on…eh Sprout?"

Alan gave a sigh before sinking back into his bedding. He opened his mouth to speak before his eyes caught onto something John had set at the foot of Alan's bed.

"What is that?" Alan asked before pointing at the bag.

John glanced at the aforementioned bag and gave a smile, not that it could be seen from behind the mask.

"Well, why don't you take it and find out?" John said as he gave Alan the bag that sat by the foot of his bed. Alan glanced at John before tearing into the bag and to see the smile light up Alan's face made John's day.

"John! This is so cool! Thank you!" Alan cried before hugging John again. His brother had to have those eerie mind reading powers the brothers teased John for having most of the time. How else would he have known how bored Alan was becoming? As Alan continued digging through his little bag of treasure, his hands stilled on the soft sky-blue item that brought back memories of Alan's childhood. John gave Alan a delighted look with a soft knowing smile when Alan brought the object to his chest and hugged it so tight that it looked like the stuffing would pop out of every seam.

"It's no trouble for me Alan" John sat in silence for a few moments before he felt it safe to speak. "I hope you like it."

"Like it? I love it!" John accepted yet another hug especially the enthusiastic hug Alan was handing out like candy at parades. "It looks just like Ellie."

"I was hoping you'd like it. I didn't want to embarrass you by getting a stuffed animal but when I saw this I thought that you'd like a new one to replace the one that…you know." John said not wanting to bring up Alan's string of bullies that made his life miserable for a good part of his pre-high school adventures.

"No it's cool Johnny. This really means a lot to me. And don't tell the guys I said this because I'll deny it if they ask but having this new Ellie will make being lonely a little bit easier. At least then I'll have something to hug in place of you guys when I'm in isolation." Alan said, a blush dusting over his cheeks as he admitted in a roundabout way that yes he was still a kid and not as grown up as he'd like to be.

"There's nothing wrong with turning to a stuffed animal for comfort Alan. I know the guys and occasionally dad does too…of course dad's excuse is that they were mom's." John said revealing how even the older brothers felt like being kids every once in a while and hugging a soft and cuddly something that made them feel safe and loved. I know for a fact that Gordo has Shamu somewhere in his bedroom and like to cuddle with it."

"I've always wondered what happened to Shamu." Alan said as he was reminded of Gordon's stuffed Orca he had growing up as a child. Gordon had it up until he was eleven then suddenly Shamu was gone, away from prying eyes or just gone all together.

"He hid it. A couple of his friends came over to spend the night and one of them noticed Shamu sitting on Gordo's bed and began teasing him for sleeping with a stuffed animal. Gordo hid it because he was ashamed of still sleeping with the toy." John replied knowingly, revealing one of the secrets that John knew Alan would keep for the rest of time.

"But why was he ashamed? I slept with Ellie the elephant until I was seven." Alan asked, knowing the reason why he stopped sleeping with Ellie the elephant clutched tight in his arms every night.

"Exactly, you slept with Ellie the elephant until you were seven but he was still eleven and slept with a stuffed animal. He took that as him not being a grown up so he hid Shamu. Though I know he occasionally still likes to sleep with Shamu." John replied softly before smiling at Alan. "I expect you to get some good cuddling out of that stuffed animal to make up for the past seven years. I won't let anyone rip it up again."

Alan smiled at John before hugging the life practically out of the stuffed elephant. He greatly appreciated the gift. John was right, there wasn't anything wrong with sleeping with a stuffed animal. If it brought comfort then by all means.

"So do you still sleep with your stuffed space shuttle?" Alan asked with a hint of teasing.

"Now why would I tell you that? I've got a reputation to keep and I don't want you blackmailing me." John replied with a smile.

"Because the only way I'll believe that Gordo still sleeps with Shamu is if you or Scott tells me either of you still sleep with your stuffed animals." Alan said.

"Well you know space shuttles don't count as stuffed animals so yeah I guess I'm safe from saying I sleep with stuffed animals." John said with a grin, his ears rising slightly. He attempted to twist away when Alan's fist came flying, but was too slow and was hit in the bicep as a result. Both he and Alan groaned an '_ow_'. "So, Sprout. What do you say to kicking back and watching a couple of movies?"

"Dad and I have been doing that these last couple of days. What could there be for you and I to watch that I haven't seen before?" Alan asked in exasperation.

"I've got my connections…and I happen to be an adult who won't mind putting on a movie rated R as long as you don't tell dad." John said with signs of a telltale smirk.

"What film are you thinking of?" Alan asked with interest.

"Elysium. I think you'd like it." John replied before offering an alternate film choice. "Or we can watch Pacific Rim, it's your choice."

"Oh man! Pacific Rim? I've wanted to see that since it came out!" Alan groaned as he leaned into John's shoulder. "Please, please, please! Can we watch that one Johnny?"

John chuckled but he couldn't deny his baby brother the ability to watch the film. John himself tried watching it, but he only ever got about five minutes in each time before the klaxon would sound and drag him into a rescue.

"Sure thing kiddo." John said as he logged into his movie library to locate the saved movie via Alan's laptop. Once he'd selected the film, John got up and turned out the lights in Alan's room so the glare from the lights wouldn't disturb the movie. Settling back against the raised head portion of Alan's bed, John slung an arm over Alan's shoulders, pulling his little brother closer to rest against him. Alan squirmed and shifted before he had gotten comfortable and before long both brothers were watching the futuristic film with interest.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Jeff sat in meeting room, discussing some legalities of the trial with Alan and Fermat's lawyer. Brains sat beside Jeff, listening intently to what the lawyer was saying.

"So far the information I've provided based on Alan and Fermat's bullying has gotten Robert a couple years in juvie easy…what we need now is to obtain either a written statement from Alan and Fermat stating their involvement in the fire or to interview both boys in front of the courts and jury to give a statement." Jackson Barrett stated over his steepled hands.

"But the boys aren't even close to being well enough to leave the hospital. Alan's in the process of having the skin grafts and reconstructive surgery to repair his feet and Fermat can barely stand let alone walk up to the podium. Neither of them is able to testify in front of the courts." Jeff said with concern. If he'd been a dog, his ears would have flattened back against his head to show his displeasure over the idea of Alan and Fermat leaving the hospital.

"I understand that Jeff. Truly I do. I'm just mentioning what the courts may require of your sons to provide the smoking gun against Robert Flynn." Barrett said with an understanding nod. "There is one more option."

"W-What?" Brains added his two cents.

"If you two would be okay with it, I could advise the courts that your sons are not physically capable of showing up in person and would need to have a video statement given." Barrett said with mirth. "The only problem with that is that someone would have to act as a secondary lawyer and would have to be in the room with the boys to oversee the statement being given."

Jeff and Brains looked at each other as if to get an idea from either one and both deflated visibly.

Barrett said with a shake of the head. "I can't be there in the room with either of the boys, so there won't be anybody there that they know who will be able to provide proper council."

"What about one of my sons? Scott and John could easily field the questions for Alan and Fermat." Jeff suggested. He began to balk though when Barrett shook his head.

"It'd be a conflict of interest. Scott and John are too close to both boys, in particular Alan because they are his brothers." Barrett said with a shrug. "I'm still working on it, but I'd like for the boys not to be alone when giving their statement."


	10. Don't Wanna Be Strong No More

Fermat pushed himself up in bed with a groan. He was bored to tears. He'd already read all the magazines his dad had been able to get for him and he'd already pestered Eddy and Jamie into giving him some of their homework assignments via email for him to work on. He just needed something to do and he was desperate.

Removing his glasses, Fermat pinched the bridge of his nose before rubbing his eyes exhaustedly. He couldn't believe he'd been in the hospital without Alan there to keep him company for almost two weeks now. He wished he could see his best friend. That would make his day that much better, but it'd be too good to be true. Fermat wasn't blind…he knew from talks with his dad that Alan had gotten sick and had to be taken off the immunosuppressant medications for the time being. He just wished that he could see his friend again. He missed hearing his chuckle in person, missed poking fun at his friend and he missed him just in general.

"This sucks." Fermat said as he rolled onto his side as he tried to get comfortable before he resigned himself to playing those blasted computer games that Alan convinced John and Virgil to download onto his laptop so he'd be as Alan would call him an average teenage boy that lived and breathed video games.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

John sighed sadly as he gazed at his slumbering baby brother leaned against his shoulder. Alan had fallen asleep during the credits of the movie and John just didn't have the heart to make Alan move. It didn't matter that his feet had fallen asleep nor did it matter that his back was screaming at him to shift and allow the muscles to relax. He didn't want to leave, because then that would be abandoning Alan in his mind's eye.

Alan would be moved, after his bath of course and John just wanted to freeze time to stay with Alan a little bit longer. He'd had a blast just sitting with Alan and watching the film. They didn't get to do that very often much anymore and that bothered the older brother. Just sitting there in the room with his baby brother snuggled up against him, it made John decide to tell his father that he wanted to alter his orbiting schedule when they returned to the island and resumed work for IR. He didn't want Alan to slip away like he had before the fire again and that was what made him prepare a demand. Solidifying his thoughts and wishes, John decided that he was going to proposition his father to change John's orbiting schedule from being back on the island every 3-6 months to every other month. That would ensure that he could see Alan and the rest of his brothers more and that meant more to him than his beloved stars…even more than his precious bird.

Reaching up tentatively, John gently brushed Alan's bangs from his forehead. Alan stirred slightly and his eyes opened slowly to look directly into John's equally blue eyes. His mouth opened in a long and lazy yawn and John couldn't hide the chuckle at his baby brother's childish waking habits. Alan nuzzled John's shoulder as he prepared to settle back down and return to sleep, but John stopped him from his desire to go back to sleep.

"Hey kiddo, don't go back to sleep." John said as he jostled Alan lightly. Alan grumbled but sat up reluctantly. Turning sleep hazed eyes towards his brother, he didn't fight it when John turned on the mama bear coddling act and began with rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "You in there kiddo?"

"Yeh, m'here ." Alan mumbled before giving a colossal yawn. He didn't however expect John to recoil. "What?'

"Whoa kid, when was the last time you brushed your teeth?" John fanned a hand in front of his face, his eyebrows drawn together in a grimace. "Your breath smells rank dude."

"Well sorry, can't exactly help the fact that my meds give me dry mouth." Alan replied with a shamed tone of voice. "I brushed my teeth this morning."

"Do you mind if I get a tooth brush and your basin and help you brush your teeth again?" John asked, not wanting to offend his brother. But he was serious, his little brother's breath smelled horrible and John kind of wanted his nose to run and hide from his face.

"If it'll make you feel better, go ahead." Alan replied as he turned his head to relieve another yawn, keeping his mouth turned away from John so his brother wouldn't catch a whiff of his breath again.

John stood up and retrieved the cup that sat by the sink and the emesis basin which was kept on hand when Alan felt sick or needed to brush his teeth. He couldn't be moved from his bed into a wheel chair to sit in front of the sink so the emesis basin would have to do. Squirting a healthy dollop of toothpaste onto Alan's toothbrush, John filled his glass and took the cup, basin and toothbrush over to Alan before beginning the task of brushing his brother's teeth for him.

Alan's eyes were at half-mast as John brushed his teeth and he grunted to let his brother know he needed to spit. John removed the toothbrush and held the basin for Alan as his brother spit the foam out. When Alan opened his mouth like a baby bird, John took that as a cue to continue brushing Alan's teeth. They continued the brushing for several minutes until John did a sniff test – something he did with his parents when they didn't believe that he and his brothers had brushed their teeth as children. When he'd determined that Alan's breath was minty fresh, John held the glass for Alan to rinse. He didn't mind helping Alan brush his teeth, he did it with Alan when he'd been a little guy that was just learning how to use a tooth brush.

"That feel better now Sprout?" John asked as he took the basin over to rinse it.

"Yeah, I'm afraid you don't ever get used to having someone brush your teeth for you though." John detected a hint of shame in Alan's voice.

"Don't be embarrassed kiddo, it's not something you can control." John said as he returned to sit by his brother. "It's better than helping to change a diaper, which I might add is a lot worse than brushing somebody's teeth."

Alan blushed as the topic of his brother's having helped change him as a baby was brought up. He knew from all the embarrassing stories that Scott and John both were big into helping in Alan's upbringing from getting involved in his hourly diaper changes to potty training to helping him learn how to ride a bicycle. His brothers had seen it all. Not that Alan was proud of that though. He hated that his brothers had seen parts of him that nobody but himself and maybe his parents should have seen.

"It's hard not to be embarrassed John. I'm fourteen, I shouldn't need one of my older brothers help me with brushing my teeth like some helpless toddler." Alan replied curtly.

"Nobody thinks of you as helpless Al, you're in the hospital…what did you expect of us? That we'd just stand by and not try to help you Allie?" John asked, his tone radiating that of hurt feelings. "Just because we're Jeff Tracy's sons doesn't mean we are exempt from caring about people we love."

"I know John, but it's just…there's so much going on in my life and I feel like…like…" Alan couldn't quite put into words how he truly felt so he just heaved a great sigh and let his arms fall onto his lap.

"You feel like everything is…spiraling out of your control…am I right?" John seemed to understand his little brother's feelings and thoughts and he put voice to those feelings. Alan nodded numbly, before he found himself in the center of a warm hug. "I know this must be a scary time for you Al, but you need to know that we're here for you no matter what. Just because you're having surgeries to repair your injuries and may need a little help from family doesn't make you weak. That's what makes you strong."

"How John? I can't seem to go more than a day without talking to either you guys, dad, grandma or Fermat and I used to go several days sometimes weeks without talking to any of you when I was back at school…before the fire happened." Alan asked softly, his eyes closing against the burning sting in his eyes as he accepted the warmth of the hug his brother was giving him.

"Because it was different then Al. You weren't hurt, in the hospital, going from operating room to recovery room practically every other day and you didn't need family to be close by for you when you were up to your ears in homework. Now though…living in the hospital for months at a time can be more stressful than studying for finals."

"What would you know about it?" Alan asked morosely.

"I can't say that I understand your feelings, simply put that I haven't ever spent more than maybe an hour at most in a hospital for a concussion or stitches…I can however say that…I understand the longing you feel to talk to anyone who will listen. Living in space for months at a time can do that to you. You are alone, only the stars to keep you company and sometimes, no matter what time it is you want to just pick up the phone and call anyone who you think might be awake." John said, his eyes expressing to Alan that he did understand, more than his little brother thought he was capable of doing. "It will get better Al, soon you'll be wanting all of us to leave you alone and you'll go to any means necessary just to get an hour of silence out of any of us."

Alan gave a watery laugh before snuggling back into John's warm embrace. He felt a little better now having talked with his brother. Getting those feelings aired out.

"Thanks for listening John." Alan felt much more appreciative of his brother's ability to just sit and listen while providing feedback. It really made Alan feel more like he was being heard and not just brushed off to the side like a child.

"No problem little brother." John gently scratched Alan's scalp as he tightened the hug just a little bit. "Promise me that you won't let something like this sit and irritate you again. If you feel like you need to talk, please call and just talk. I don't care what time it is, if I'm sleeping it's no different than when I'm up among the stars and you call to talk. I'm always here for you."

"Promise Johnny…thank you." Alan settled with a relieved sigh in John's embrace and he didn't feel like letting go any time soon.

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John walked into the hotel room at quarter to eight. He sighed tiredly as he sank down on his bed and scrubbed a hand over his face as he allowed his thoughts to linger over the entirety of the day. Shaking his head, John opted to prepare for bed. He'd had a mentally draining day and all he wanted to do was sleep. Standing with a groan, John went over and began to dig through his luggage, his hands stilling as he found the necklace Tin-Tin had made for Alan. The kid still couldn't wear it and John hadn't wanted the necklace to be broken before Alan could wear it. Smiling softly, John rewrapped it in the tissue paper it'd been wrapped in before placing it back in to the side pocket.

Retrieving his pajamas, John grabbed his wash bag before turning to go into the bathroom. He wanted a shower to wash away the stress of the day. Turning on the bathroom light, John set his clothes on the sink's counter. He glanced in the mirror and took a moment to pore of his reflection. He looked tired. Even to himself. Heaving a sigh, John closed the bathroom door before stripping of his clothes. Turning the water up to his comfort level, John got in the shower and heaved a quiet sigh as he felt the rhythmic pound of the water against his shoulders.

His mind rolled over everything that had happened today and he'd frowned as he recalled being permitted to help with Alan's sponge bath. He hadn't known what to say when the doctor handed him a sponge and told him to lightly dab at Alan's skin. Alan's head had hung low, the action making his vertebrae stick out – showing John just how thin Alan really was. Shame reeking from his pores as John looked on in shock at the burns that ate at his flesh.

John sighed again as he stepped back under the shower head to let his hair get wet before beginning to shampoo his hair.

_Alan had been nestled in John's arms, his eyes closed as he listened and counted the beats of John's heart. Counting heart beats had been something that calmed Alan as a child and he'd reverted to his default upon being soothed by his elder brother. A knock sounded on the door and both Alan and John looked up when they heard the door open. Dr. Andreessen came into view and he'd given them a kind smile before placing the supplies he'd brought down on the counter by the sink._

_ "Sorry to bother you gentlemen, but I'm afraid it's time for Alan to get his sponge bath before he gets moved again."_

_ Alan released his hold on John's shoulders before he pulled away. He gave his brother a don't leave me look and John shushed his brother with a simple look in the eye before looking to the doctor._

_ "Would it be alright if lend a hand?" John looked at the doctor in hopes he'd be granted permission._

_ Dr. Andreessen looked between his patient and his patient's brother before nodding. "Sure, I don't see the harm in it. As long as Alan's okay with it then I am too."_

_ Alan nodded meekly before his shoulders relaxed mildly._

_ "Alright, so here's what we're going to do…"_

John stepped under the cascade of water to rinse the shampoo from his hair, closing his eyes quickly to avoid shampoo getting in his eyes. He reflected on Alan and how the kid had felt when John began bathing Alan lightly with a sponge.

_"It's okay to press a little harder John; you know how ticklish I can be." Alan said as he allowed his head to hang in shame as John raised his arms to swipe the moistened sponge beneath his armpits. His face burned with a blush as he tried to ignore the shame creeping along his mind and thought process._

_ "The doc said not to press too hard Sprout. I don't want to be responsible for causing you pain." John replied as he raised Alan's other arm to swipe the sponge beneath. He quickly rinsed the sponge before gently swiping it over his little brother's chest. "Let me know if this tickles at all."_

_ Alan bit his lip so as to conceal the grimace that would come to his face with each swipe of the sponge over his ticklish spots. He squirmed when the sponge John held lightly flitted over a spot near his belly button that was incredibly ticklish. John looked up to see what the squirm was about and his alighted to the knowledge that without meaning to he'd tickled his brother and the movement had hurt Alan since he really shouldn't be jerking with all the wounds he's got._

_ "Sorry Sprout." John said as he put a little more pressure on Alan's stomach as he ran the sponge over Alan again._

_ "It's okay." Alan said as he gazed with trepidation at the doctor who held a bowl and some tear free shampoo for Alan to get his hair washed. When John finished with the sponge bath, Alan found himself manhandled to lean forward so a couple of towels could be placed behind him. Alan clutched at his blankets as he tried to keep the blankets draped over his lap firmly in place. He didn't wish to experience the same type of embarrassment he'd encountered with Gordon when he'd helped to bathe him._

_ "Alright Alan…close your eyes." Dr. Andreessen said as he leaned Alan's head back over the basin before pouring water over his head slowly so as to properly wet Alan's hair but not to drown Alan with a deluge of water._

_ Alan did as Dr. Andreessen instructed and he stiffened slightly when he felt a pair of hands on his scalp. Prying an eye slightly, Alan spotted John leaning over him. The older brother's face showed the utmost concentration but he took care when it came to washing Alan's hair. Slipping the eye closed, Alan allowed John to rinse his hair a couple times before relaxing now that the bath was done._

_ "Let's get your hair dry and fluffy now Sprout." John murmured as he accepted the towel from the doctor and began ruffling Alan's hair in attempt to dry and fluff the slicked back hair._

_ Alan felt like a kitten getting a tongue bath from the momma cat as John forcefully while still being gentle dried his hair. He felt like he was getting a facelift each time John scrubbed the towel over his hair. When his elder brother finally stopped with the towel drying, he'd effectively given Alan an I-stuck-my-finger-in-a-light-socket hair do. John gave a chuckle when Alan gave him a disapproving glare but he remained silent otherwise. The doctor chuckled briefly before handing John a comb._

_ "Thanks doc." John said as he accepted the comb from the doctor, running it through Alan's now fluffy hair, being careful not to hit any possible tangles._

John shut off the water to his own shower, wrapping the body towel he'd brought in around his waist as he climbed from the tub before stopping in front of the sink and mirror. Using his forearm, John wiped away the condensation before he set about shaving. He was feeling scruffy since he hadn't shaved in about a week and he hated the infernal itch with a passion. He was constantly scratching his jaw and he'd actually taken comfort when Alan had unknowingly scratched his chin while nestled in his arms. It wasn't Alan's fault that he was an instinctual snuggle bug. He'd always been a snuggly kid.

_ "Do you have to go John?" Alan asked, his voice somewhat shaky as the doctor and a couple nurses prepared to move him back into isolation._

_ "I'm afraid so buddy. I wish we still could spend more time together though." John said as he hugged Alan warmly, before stepping back when the nurses raised the rails of Alan's hospital bed. Alan gave a look to John and the older blonde couldn't resist it. Leaning over the rail, John hugged Alan once more, lowering his mask to place a kiss on his brother's brow. "I'll miss you kiddo, but don't worry. It'll only be a little while longer until you can see us again. Stay strong for me…okay?"_

_ Alan nodded sadly before he tightened his hold around John's neck. This was one of his better days, even spending these last couple days with his father was awesome compared to being moved back into isolation. "What if I don't want to be strong anymore?"_

_ "You can do it bud…I've got to go now kiddo, but I'll see you again in a short while."_ _John pulled out of the embrace before ruffling Alan's hair fondly. "I'll send the guys your love and warm regards okay?"_

_ "Yeah." Alan looked…lost could be a good descriptor for lack of a better word and it just about broke John's heart to see such a look on his baby brother's face. He stayed in the place he'd been standing like a statue as he watched the medical personnel wheel Alan down and around the corner, away from John, away from freedom._

John looked at his reflection in the mirror and scrubbed at his eyes. He wasn't crying, he was just tired. It'd been a long day and it'd be even longer unless he got ready and went to bed. Rinsing his razor and moving the warm damp washcloth over his face left John with a baby soft face. Quickly brushing his teeth, John prepared for bed before turning out the light and creeping out into the bedroom.

None of his brothers were in the room and just how John wanted it. Moving quickly over to his bed, John crawled beneath the blankets before laying down. Closing his eyes, John fell quickly into sleep…faster than he'd ever done.

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Scott reclined back against the lounger next to the pool. He and Gordon had spent the entire day together anxiously awaiting John to return. They'd eaten a simple dinner, Scott and Gordon wanting just a quick slice of pizza. They hadn't hungered for more, all they hungered for was news about their little brother from John. How he was doing as Alan had a habit of hiding his true feelings from their parent. It was one of the constant arguments between their father and youngest brother.

Scott watched Gordon swim the length of the pool, his little brother staying submerged near the bottom of the pool. Checking his watch, Scott leaned over and slapped the water, knowing his brother could hear the change in the water's choppiness from the hit. Sure enough Gordon came up for air, after two minutes of staying submerged.

Gordon blinked the water from his eyes as he took a lungful of air.

"What's up Scott?" Gordon asked after he'd effectively stopped the chlorine burn in his eyes.

"Let's head on back up. Dad should be returning soon and he'd want to know what's going on with Alan. Maybe John will be back soon too." Scott offered a hand to his little brother before pulling him out and tossing a towel at him. Both brothers went up, using the grand staircase as opposed to the elevator to get back up to their floor.

When they reached their floor, Scott swiftly opened the door, he and Gordon remaining quiet as they entered. Gordon opened his mouth to say something, but the words died on his lips when he spotted John curled up and sound asleep beneath the blankets on his and Scott's shared bed.

"Damn, I guess we missed John." Scott muttered as he moved with a deadly silence of an assassin. Scott gestured for Gordon to catch a shower and Gordon caught on before grabbing his previously discarded clothes. Slipping into the bathroom, Gordon took a shower himself before exiting the bathroom to find Scott dressed in his customary blue jeans and a white t-shirt.

"Let's go see if dad's back yet." Gordon said quietly before grabbing his room key. "Let Johnny boy sleep."

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Jeff sighed as he looked over the clause form he'd have to sign to permit Alan a secondary lawyer for this trial. It wasn't something he was too keen on doing, but knew it'd need to be done if Alan wanted to tell his story and get the justice he deserved for all his pain and suffering. Laying his pen down on the desk, Jeff glanced over his shoulder at Brains. His friend was working furiously on a blueprint he'd dreamed up for a type of medical ointment which could speed up healing. In their line of business, they'd need to find ways of speeding up healing time so there'd be less down time to recover from injuries. Jeff didn't know where Brains came up with these ideas, but his stuttering friend was a father and a brilliant scientist.

When Jeff asked his friend about the inspiration of this healing ointment, Brains response had been what Jeff was sadly expecting to hear. Their sons injuries was the inspiration for such an ointment and Brains was wishing he could just have it made and tested before using it on their boys to speed up their healing time. It saddened Jeff to hear that such a thing like their boys being hurt had been what inspired Brains to come up with the concoction that could potentially heal their wounds and repair everything. A knock at the door drew Jeff's attention.

Brains couldn't be bothered when he was in the midst of scientific formulas and Jeff couldn't blame the scientist for losing himself in his work. Jeff wished his secretary would give him some documents to sign, anything to get his mind off the situation at hand.

"I'm coming…hold on one moment." Jeff said as he strode across the room to look through the peephole. Opening the door when he saw Scott and Gordon, Jeff quickly embraced his boys. "Scott, Gordon how are you boys doing?"

"We're okay." Jeff stepped aside as he permitted his oldest and second youngest son into the room. Brains never glanced up from where he was sat, staring at his notebook with the concentration of a scientist hard at work…which was what he was at the time. "How are you dad?"

Jeff closed the door before turning to his son that spoke.

"I'm okay Scott…a little frustrated but okay." Jeff said as he returned back to the desk to pick up the clause form he had to decide whether he wanted to sign or not.

"What's up dad?" Scott asked as he sat on the edge of his dad's bed.

Jeff picked up the clause form and flashed it at Scott with a look of annoyance before setting the form back on the table top.

"I have to decide whether I want Alan to have a secondary lawyer be present for a formal statement to be made for the trial or not."

"Whoa…what?" Scott gestured for his dad to hand him the clause form before asking his dad to explain again.

"I have to talk it over with your brother first, but we're reaching that point in the trial for witness statements to be made before the courts in regards to Robert and the hazing charges…that and the bullying." Jeff said with resignation.

"What about the trial for the fire?" Gordon asked, his voice low.

"That will come later, but the trial that will be in regards to the bullying your brother was put through is coming up and the courts will need your brother to testify if he wants Robert to be given the proper punishment." Jeff said with a shake of his head. "I wish your brother didn't need to, but he's going to need to testify whether he wants to or not because they can't charge Robert formally without hearing everything from Alan as the victim. Firsthand."

"But he already gave his statement to the police! Isn't that enough?!" Gordon asked, his voice heated.

"I wish it was and I talked it over with Barrett, he said that unfortunately to avoid Robert from being given a maximum of four years in juvie and maybe a year of parole Alan will need to tell the judge and jury everything he went through from having his face shoved in the toilet the day of the fire to his camera being destroyed and beaten up by Robert and his goons." Jeff huffed an angry breath. "I don't like it boys and I'd rather discuss what Alan wants to do with him. I'm planning on doing that first thing tomorrow."

Scott and Gordon shared a look before Scott spoke up. "I'm afraid you missed that train dad…Alan got moved back into isolation today."

"Excuse me?" Jeff asked, one of his eyebrows raising in question to what his son said.

"I said Alan got moved back into isolation today. His infection cleared up and the doctor didn't see a reason not to move him back in to isolation and get him back on the meds." Scott said as he sat up straight, meeting his father's gaze head on.

"Damn…why didn't you try to call me?" Jeff asked with mild irritation.

"I did…your phone cut straight to voicemail. It wouldn't have done any good to leave a message. John went to go spend the day with Alan." Scott replied.

"Ah, right…I turned my phone off for the meeting with Barrett." Jeff said as he shook his head. "How was Alan today? Is John back yet?"

"John's back but no idea how Alan did with the move…John was asleep when Gordy and I came back from the pool." Scott said as he scrubbed a hand over his eyes. "Why can't you just sign the form and make Alan have a secondary lawyer?"

"Because he asked to be treated like an equal, and I intend to give him that opportunity." Jeff replied, knowing and recalling the promise he'd made to Alan. He'd told Alan he'd try to treat Alan more like an adult and less like a child and he intended to keep that promise. He'd like to avoid having arguments with Alan as much as possible and if treating his baby like a man was what Alan wanted then that's what Alan would get.

"He's a kid, why are you treating him like he's not?" Scott asked, his eyebrows furrowing slightly in irritation as he rose to stand before his father.

"Just because he's a kid doesn't mean he should be given any less equality than yourself when you were his age." Jeff said in response. "Look Scott, I don't want to get into this with you. The fact of the matter is that Alan is growing up and as much as it pains me to treat him like he's older and not like the toddler he used to be. He's asked for the opportunity to be treated like I treat you all and I'm willing to give him the chance to prove to me that he can be the decider of his own decisions."

Scott's nares flared slightly but he stayed quiet; choosing instead to sink down on the bed. "So then how does this whole secondary lawyer thing play out? If Alan goes for it?"

Jeff too, relaxed back in his chair slightly to look to his sons.

"Well, the secondary lawyer would sit in with both Alan and Fermat…separately of course and they'd basically do Barrett's job of fielding questions in the boy's defense." Jeff paused for a moment before speaking thoughtfully. "However, maybe I'm not the best person to ask…I am not familiar with secondary lawyers and all that sort of mumbo jumbo. Why do you think I went into the business world and not law?"

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><p><em><strong>AN Hello RFTA fans, sorry it's taken me a little more than three weeks to get the latest update up. Between work, finals and writer's block I've finally been able to finish these latest chapters. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday, mine was...eh...almost went to the movies by myself but my bro and his lady stopped me from spending Christmas day by myself. And they managed to get me to visit family so that was different. Her family...not mine sadly. I'd love to go see my folks, but all work and no play helps pay the bills and college tuition...so yeah.**_

_**Anyway, probably on Saturday I'll be posting the first chapter of Never Look Back - Belonging to see what you all think. I think I've got 11 chapters so far but have more planned. I'd like to get as much posted as I can because my next semester at college is going to have me busier than i'd like to be.**_

Anyway, you all are awesome and I hope you all enjoy!

~Angel~


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